Purity
by Blue Remedy
Summary: Love is stronger than hate... Right?
1. Chapter 1

This new thing is part of a very big project my partner and I have been working on. Rated M for sexual themes later on, we hope you like it!

* * *

The hall was saturated in silence. All heads were turned towards the speaker, as this was a serious and urgent matter, but also a very delicate one. The crowd had veneer of calm covering it. No one had anywhere to be but here, as it was, but the minds of everyone present were high strung because, again, this was a most delicate matter.

"The history connecting humans and dragons is tainted with blood. As dragons, we understand that humanity will never accept us, and that we will never be able to live amongst them. There will always be a profound hatred between our race and theirs, we cannot deny this."

A hum resounded throughout the crowd, showing recognition to the powerful voice, but perhaps not interest. They had heard this speech before, but it never seemed to grow old.

"This is why there are dragon slayers. These children, with human bodies and the hearts of dragons, are the bridge between our races… hating neither and defending both, always respecting the innocent beings that may exist."

Dragon slayers. It always came back around to the dragon slayers. And why not? The only legends older than them were the dragons themselves.

"Many slayers have, unfortunately, fallen into darkness, but one remains pure. Despite the hardships that he has suffered through and all the burdens he carries, my son has prevailed as the only pure slayer."

The crowd's murmuring became louder, turning into snarls and rasping.

He paused to glance at Grandine. This meeting was announcing her daughter's fall from grace, but she held her head high, like the proud mother she was. Her little dragon slayer was never far from her thoughts, not that his strayed far from his mind either.

"That is how it needs to remain. If any hatred were to bloom in his heart towards any one human or dragon, the bridge between our races would be lost, and one would fall victim to the other. For the wellbeing of our races, NatsuDragneel must maintain his purity."

Hollering and shouting and roaring echoed through the hall. Many dragons spoke out for him, some spoke in a jumble of whispered confusion, but more cried in anger.

If he cared about their noise, or even acknowledged it, he failed to show any sign. The Flame Dragon King turned his back on the audience, stalking away silently through tunnels as the ruckus died down. His mind was on his son, wondering if he would regret his words about purity and bonds. Igneel sighed.

"Be good, Natsu."

It was late at night when the train pulled into the station.

"Natsu, c'mon, we have to find a hotel."

"You can do it, Natsu!"

The world spun as his partners called out to him. He gurgled pathetically as Lucy was forced to drag him to his feet. His surroundings became less blurry as the ground stopped moving, and he felt less like vomiting.

"You okay, Natsu?" Happy fluttered by, watching as Lucy steadied him. He nodded dumbly, slowly but surely gaining composure.

A grand mountain loomed west of the town. Natsu stared up at the formation in awe. It was thickly covered in trees and brush, rock jutting out from the sides making for a steep and dangerous climb. Few people probably climbed that mountain.

_Igneel could be up there._

The very thought made Natsu halt, staring longingly at the mountain, his motion sickness forgotten. His eyes flicked to different points, searching for a trace, any trace, of his dragon father.

Natsu frowned. He had to think about his team. He and Lucy were both battered and bruised from the recent mission (not so much Happy, but he had helped), and they needed rest. Besides, he couldn't trek up an unfamiliar mountain unprepared, especially since their train was leaving early tomorrow morning.

No, he'd let this one slide. For the team.

"Natsu, is something wrong?" Lucy asked, tugging on his wrist. Natsu turned to his partner and gave her a weary smile.

"Nah, just tired is all."

Natsu begrudgingly walked with his team to find a hotel for the night, the thought of Igneel possibly being up there brought his mood down. He just hoped it didn't show, as he had no intention of making his partners worry.

After stopping for a short meal, the team continued on to their hotel. They had paid for two connecting rooms so that Lucy could have her privacy, although Natsu thought sleeping in an unfamiliar room like that would be kind of lonely. He chose not to argue with her though.

Natsu was being uncharacteristically quiet, thinking about the mountain. He knew he shouldn't, because he had already decided he wouldn't, but he got a nagging feeling in his gut that something was going to happen, and it had to do with that mountain.

"Hey… Natsu…" Lucy said quietly, stopping him just outside the door to his room. She was fidgeting with her wristband, but she had a determined look in her eye.

"What's the matter? You've been acting weird since we got off the train."

Natsu had an excuse all lined up and on the tip of his tongue… But the painfully honest tone of her voice wouldn't allow him to lie. It came slowly to Natsu- like most things- but he was beginning to realize how lucky he was to have her, to have someone who truly cared about him. It sent a heat to his chest that he wasn't sure how to handle.

But he couldn't stand the idea of her possibly getting hurt because of him, and that overpowered all other feelings.

"It's nothing to worry about, Lucy. I'm just fine." Only half a lie.

"Goodnight Lucy."

"…Goodnight Natsu."

The fire mage was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring absently at the horrendous floral print that covered the sheets. His mind was elsewhere as he dried his wet hair with a towel, letting his pink bangs fall in front of his eyes.

"How was the shower, Natsu?" Happy asked, jumping up beside his pal on the bed.

"Mm…"

What if Igneel really was up there? What if he was missing his chance? Lucy and Happy could take the train home without him, right? And he could stay to climb the mountain. The boy shook his head. His partners would never allow that. But what if he could just-

"Natsu."

The boy turned to see Happy wearing a serious expression on his face. Natsu frowned, wondering how he had upset the cat this time.

"You seem down." Happy told him, looking up at him with those big eyes and his ears turned down. Natsu sighed, not wanting to hold in his thoughts any longer.

"Happy," He said, sitting Indian style and Happy facing him. "You remember that mountain we saw earlier today?" The cat nodded eagerly, hanging on Natsu's words.

"Well… I thought that maybe Igneel could be up there." Happy gasped, his little paws going to cover his mouth.

"Natsu! Why didn't you say anything?! We could be looking for Igneel right now! In such a small village, there could be anything hiding up there!" Natsu shook his head, the boy's eyes held something bittersweet.

"It's too dark out now, and the mountain is too dangerous. Lucy is tired and sore, and I'm not feeling too hot either. And I don't want you getting hurt. I can't have anyone in danger because of me." He let out a shaky sigh, a pained look running across his face that he tried to avoid.

"Plus, I've never taken Lucy with me when I look for Igneel… I don't want her to see me that way. I'm not exactly cheerful on those missions. She doesn't need to know about this." Happy nodded knowingly, not asking anymore questions for Natsu's sake and silently promising not to tell Lucy.

Natsu turned his face away, his teeth clenching at the thought of Lucy seeing him in that state. He always looked so lost and sad when he looked for Igneel. If Lucy saw that…

He shook his head. Lucy wouldn't have to see him like that, because no one on his team was going up that mountain.

"Goodnight Natsu."

"G'night Happy."


	2. Chapter 2

As she was getting ready to lie down, she couldn't get Natsu off her mind. He had looked so down ever since they got off the train, and it worried Lucy to no end. This was Natsu, for Mavis's sake! He was always supposed to be cheerful and reckless, brightening her day with all of his crazy antics. But the smile he wore today was tired and worn, and it wasn't because the mission was tough. No, something was bothering him, and he wasn't telling her. She got up, getting ready to approach Natsu again, feeling the need to press him on the subject when she heard his voice through the thin, wooden door. He was talking to Happy, opening up to him about his . Every situation was delicate when it came to Natsu's father, and she wasn't oblivious to that fact. Suddenly his sad expression made sense. _Of course he's sad! He wants to look for him! Why wouldn't he just tell me?_ Her question was quickly answered as she listened from behind the door, not regretting eavesdropping.

_…Me? He's holding back… for me?_

She saw her tears hit the floor. _Dammit Natsu! Why in the world wouldn't you tell me? I don't want to be a burden, and I don't want to stop you from doing what you need to do!_ As Natsu told Happy he didn't want Lucy to search for Igneel with him, she felt anger course through her veins. _I thought he trusted me… Natsu should know he can trust me! I don't want him to hide his feelings from me!_

As Natsu and Happy said goodnight to each other, Lucy made up her mind. She wasn't going home without traveling to that mountain, even if she had to go alone. She owed it to Natsu to at least look! She wasn't going to make him go with her, though. He had made it perfectly clear he didn't want her to be with him as he looked for Igneel, and she wasn't going to force it.

No, she was going on her own.

Lucy slipped out the door, being as quiet as she possibly could to make sure she wouldn't wake up the sleeping slayer one room over. As she tip-toed past his room, she picked up speed and left the hotel swiftly. She was dressed in her battle-worn outfit, her boots strapped on and her keys attached to her belt. She was ready to explore whatever it was that was on that mountain.

As she arrived at the mountain, she began to understand why Natsu thought Igneel might be up there. There weren't any people for miles, and it had countless caves and crevices. Its peak wasn't even visible as it hid above the clouds. She made her way around the base, looking for some sort of clue that a dragon might be hidden somewhere on the mountain. There were many wild plants, blooming bushes, and traces of small mountain animals, but nothing that might lead one to believe there were dragons nearby. _What am I even looking for? How would I even know if a dragon was up there?_ _I'm not exactly an expert on dragon tracking._

As she crawled down into a small valley that was isolated from the rest of the mountain's base, she felt a sudden chill crawl up her spine. She began looking around the area, trying to assure herself that there was nothing to be afraid of.

She heard a low growl.

She froze, slowly lifting her head to see a dragon bearing its fangs at her, crouched low as if it was going to attack her at any second. It was small in size, its body lanky and scales smooth. Its eyes were an electric green, closely resembling those of a snake. Her heart stopped as she stood there, staring at the beast in complete shock. Her mind told her to grab her keys, but her body wouldn't listen. She could only stand there in horror as the dragon began closing the distance between them. She could feel its hot breath running across her face as the low growl took on an even more menacing tone.

Its intentions were clear… this dragon wanted to kill her.

Suddenly another dragon, much bigger than the one in front of her, swooped down from the clouds and tackled the bloodthirsty dragon to the ground. As it recovered from the impact, the smaller dragon turned to face the larger one, its tail flinging Lucy against the rocks. It knocked the wind out of her, scraping her back and knees. As she fell to the ground with a thud, she sprained her ankle causing her to wince in pain. She frantically pressed her back against the rocks, ignoring the pain as she tried to back away from the fight before her. It didn't take long before the larger dragon had won, sending the other wearily flying back to a higher part of the mountain.

She stared at the beast that had saved her, flames dripping from its mouth as it fell to the ground, injured from the fight. _I need to get out of here…_ Lucy was going to back away, but this dragon had saved her, and it got hurt defending her. She shakily stepped forward, approaching the winged beast.

"A-are you okay?"

The dragon growled, but not menacingly like the other. She took a deep breath as she continued to get closer. "Th-thank you… for saving me…" The dragon scoffed as it tried to crawl away.

"W-wait! I-I came here looking for someone!" It stopped, and she could tell she had its attention. She continued. "M-my friend… he's a dragon slayer… and he thinks his father might be up here… I was wondering if-"

"You mean Natsu."

She froze at its words. "Y-yes… how did… how did you know?" The dragon looked at her before turning away, not meeting her eyes. "You have his scent on your clothes… I thought you were him."

The realization came slowly to Lucy. This dragon, large and proud, was a deep shade of red with flames spewing out from different parts of its body. Its eyes were gentler than the other, its voice strong with a hint of longing as it mentioned Natsu. What confirmed Lucy's suspicions was the large scar stretching across its neck.

This was Igneel.

She fell to the ground, unsure of what to do. **_She had found Igneel!_** She was deeply regretting not bringing Natsu with her. The idea of reuniting him with his father… Lucy could only imagine how happy –no, how overjoyed- he would be! "S-stay here! Natsu is in a village a few miles from here! L-let me go get-"

"No!" the dragon roared with finality. She turned to him, his voice echoing in her ears, scared and confused. "But… but… NATSU HAS BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU! HE HAS NEVER STOPPED LOOKING FOR YOU, NOT SINCE THE DAY YOU DISAPPEARED! IS THIS WHERE YOU CAME?! WHY DIDN'T YOU COME BACK FOR HIM?! DO YOU EVEN WANT TO SEE HI-"

"SILENCE! OF COURSE I WANT TO SEE HIM! A PUNY HUMAN SUCH AS YOURSELF, YOU COULD NEVER UNDERSTAND!" he snarled at her, obviously displeased with her words. "There are rules, child. We dragons do not run amok on our own accord, and just as I am not allowed to see him, you are not allowed to speak of our encounter."

_Wait… what?_

She tried to comprehend his words, still not believing what was happening. _How can I not tell Natsu?! I found his FATHER for Mavis's sake! Why on Earthland_ _would I_ _keep this from him?!_

"I-Igneel… I don't understand… why… why can't I tell him?"

Igneel looked at her, his eyes sad as he empathized with her.

"Because… he will hate you."

Lucy froze at his words. _Natsu… Natsu would… hate me?_ She tried to catch onto Igneel's train of thought.

"No…. No, that's not true! Natsu doesn't hate anyone! I'm his partner, his teammate! He would never hate me!"

Igneel looked taken aback by her statement, remaining silent for a moment. He was contemplating something. Had she said something strange?

"Are you sure about that? I doubt anyone else has gone behind his back to find me before. You have no idea how he'll react."

_He.. he's right. I came out here… by myself when he told me not to… I got hurt, the exact thing he didn't want to happen. I found his father, and I won't be allowed to let Natsu see him… I found Igneel… without him… and I'm not going to be able to bring him back here… He's right… Natsu might actually hate me for this._

"I… I know that…" the words were bitter on her tongue. "I… I know he might hate me, but I don't care! He deserves to see you! I shouldn't let my emotions get in the way!"

The dragon glared at her, lurching toward her as his eyes turned fierce. "Listen here, pathetic human. The dragon race cannot allow Natsu to hate anyone. The details do not concern you, but if you tell Natsu about our meeting and he grows to hate you, the dragons will revolt and kill him along with every other human on this planet. You must swear on your life that you will not tell Natsu what has happened here tonight."

Tears began swelling up in her eyes as reality slapped her in the face. She was going to have to keep this a secret from Natsu… for his own safety, and for the safety of everyone else. She felt her stomach flip at the thought of having to lie to Natsu… especially about something as serious as this. _How in the world will I be able to face him? He didn't want me up here, and I should have respected that. He was right not to open up to me… he was right not to trust me with this… I'm not trustworthy… not anymore._

"… If you truly cared about my son, you would keep this a secret."

With that, Igneel left in silence. He sensed that she understood what she must do and ascended high above the clouds. Exhausted, Lucy began limping back to the hotel as the sun began to rise. She looked back to the mountain a final time, her back hurting and her heart heavy.


	3. Chapter 3

To the people who were confused about some of the things in previous chapters, I can assure you that they'll make sense later in the story. Thank you for reading~

* * *

Natsu bolted upright at the sound of Lucy's door slamming closed. His internal clock was telling him that it was just before 6am.

_An intruder?_

The boy flung open the connecting door that separated the two rooms. Lucy was collapsed on her bed, breathing heavily. She was on her back, huffing like she had just run a mile. Her boots were muddy and she was covered in sweat. Alarms went off quickly in Natsu's brain- something was definitely not right here.

"Lucy, what happened to you?!" He exclaimed, rushing to help Lucy sit upright. She winced at his touch, making him back off immediately. Natsu looked at her with serious eyes, checking her up and down for injuries. He scowled at the many new scrapes she possessed.

"Lucy, tell me!" He prodded, concern evident in his voice. She fidgeted, not being able to meet his eyes for reasons unknown to Natsu.

"I went for a walk." She put simply, turning away from him. The boy raised an eyebrow at that.

"Musta been some walk." He chuckled softly, "You look like you fell down a mountain."

Her reaction wasn't what he had expected. He thought she was going to pout and hit him, but the look of guilt in her paling appearance told otherwise. Realization slowly bloomed on Natsu's face, quickly turning into confusion.

"No, Lucy, you didn't go up that big mountain, did you?" Natsu asked, the urgency in his voice prevalent. He grabbed her shoulders to turn her around and look at him. She bit her lip and nodded hesitantly, sending Natsu reeling.

"Lucy! What's gotten into you?! Why would you go up a mountain in the middle of the night?" He said, standing up so he could be in front of her. Lucy didn't speak as her eyes fixated on the ground. She looked like she was going to start shaking. Or crying. Or possibly both.

"I overheard you talking to Happy about how you thought Igneel might be up there… And that you wouldn't even try to look for him because of me." There was an edge to her voice that suggested she was offended by this."So I kind of… Went looking for him myself."

Confusion swiftly turned into anger as the boy clenched his fists, staring down at the girl in front of him."You did what?" He seethed, biting off the ends of his words sharply.

_She went up the mountain by herself… And she knew it was dangerous! She went behind my back… Why would Lucy go behind my back?!_

She pushed herself off the bed, wobbling slightly as she tried to inconspicuously get away from Natsu's harsh glare.

It was then that he saw the scrapes and cuts trailing along her back as if she had been skidding against rock. He stopped, anger momentarily forgotten.

"Lucy, Lucy you're hurt…" He murmured, placing his hand on her shoulder, which she briskly shoved off.

"I've been hurt before Natsu, this is nothing-"

"But you've never been hurt because of me!" He shouted in desperation. She finally turned to face him, unshed tears making her eyes shiny.

"I only wanted to help you. You said you wouldn't look because me… Because I would get hurt." There was something angry in her voice. It was toxic.

"So don't treat me like I can't handle myself Natsu! I don't want to hold you back! I don't care if I get hurt!" She yelled, her hands clenched into tight fists.

"Do you think I wanted you to get hurt?! What if there really had been dragons up there Lucy? You could've been killed!" He barked at her, his anger bursting as his voice boomed throughout the room. She flinched at his words and fled into the bathroom, slamming the door and effectively trapping Natsu outside with his thoughts.

As soon as the door closed she started sobbing. It was that kind of sobbing where you cry and gasp for air, only being able to breathe in between wrenching howls,and it tore up Natsu's heart to bits.

He could hear her crying through the door, turning on the shower to mask some of the sobs. Unsure of what to say, Natsu went to back to his room and fell onto his mattress. He wished he hadn't been so rough on her. She just wanted to help him…

Happy woke up a few hours after Natsu's argument with Lucy, evidently knowing nothing about what had happened (he had always been a heavy sleeper).

As they packed their bags and left the hotel, the raw emotions between the mages became evident. Lucy wouldn't say a word to him all morning, keeping to herself with a hazy look in her eyes. It was one thing to be spiteful after a fight, but Natsu couldn't bear it when someone simply shut him out, and the fact that it was Lucy only made it worse.

On the way to the train, Natsu noticed Lucy falling behind. She was hobbling painfully, something obviously wrong with her ankle. Natsu frowned, worry etched clearly on his face.

"Lucy, let me carry your bag." He pleaded.

She didn't bother responding as she quickened her pace and boarded the train. Natsu looked to Happy, at a loss for what to do with her.

The train ride was as miserable as ever,but Natsu kept his gaze focused squarely on Lucy as he slumped on the seat across from her. She looked so tired, her face pale and her eyelids drooping. He tried to stay as vigilant as he could for her sake, ready to spring into action every time the train swayed and the leather seat pressed painfully against her raw sores.

Natsu was internally beating himself for letting this happen. He should've tended to her injuries when he had the chance. Forget speaking, she wouldn't even look at him as it was now.

_How would I feel if we switched places though? If Lucy wasn't going to do something because of me, I'd be mad too. I wouldn't care if I got hurt. I would do my best to make things right. Lucy is right to be upset with me. Instead of being grateful, all I did was tell her how stupid she was._

Natsu frowned as the train rounded a corner and Lucy whimpered, fighting back the pain he knew she was feeling.

Dammit, I really screwed up this time.

"This isn't our stop…" Lucy mumbled to no one in particular. Natsu scowled as a high pitch noise rang through the intercom.

"Attention passengers, the train to Magnolia is being delayed due to severe weather. We advise all of our passengers to stay in this town for tonight, as the train will not move again till morning. Thank you, and be safe."

Natsu groaned. Another hotel and another night of not being back home. He sat up, watching Lucy struggle to pack up her things. The boy looked to Happy, subtly glancing in Lucy's direction. Happy caught on quickly, bless him.

"Lucy, let me carry your bag!" She looked hesitant, but handed the bag over to Happy with a small thank you. He gave Natsu a look of confusion. The slayer simply shook his head, not being able to explain the situation to Happy even if he had wanted to.

The trio scurried out of the train station to find cover from the rain whipping their clothes. Natsu frowned as Lucy limpeddown the wet street before pulling them into a hotel. They dried off in the lobby, no one speaking. It was quite an eerie thing for the team.

"So…" Happy started. "We should get rooms, and some dinner, I think…" He trailed off awkwardly. The tension between Natsu and Lucy was thick as neither said anything.

"I'm not hungry." She said after a moment, turning away from the boys as she rubbed the cold off of her arms. Natsu looked to Happy in desperation, although the cat didn't know what was happening either.

The boy scooped up his companion in his arms and brought him close so Lucy wouldn't hear him.

"Talk to her, okay? I'm going to get some rooms." He whispered to the cat, putting him down and going to the office desk.

Maybe they just needed space. Natsu didn't like the idea of staying away from Lucy; sure he'd been away from her plenty of times, but now that he was being forced to, it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Two rooms, conjoined if you can get it." He told the lady at the desk. Her smile was too wide, like she was trying too hard to be happy.

"Ah, I'm sorry sir, there's only one room left. A lot of people coming off the delayed train to Magnolia have booked most of them. Is that one room okay?" Natsu frowned slightly, but it seemed this was their only option.

"We'll take it, thanks." He said as the woman gave him the key to their room.

"Oh, and you have nice eyes by the way. Very blue." Natsu told her as an afterthought, flashing her a grin as he turned away. The smile that bloomed on her face was genuine. Much better than the fake one, Natsu decided.

"We could only get one room. Lucy, you can take the bed." She didn't respond, only brushing past him to make her way down the hall. Natsu and Happy fell behind and whispered to each other.

"What did she say?" Happy shook his head.

"Every time I brought you up she looked like she was gunna cry." Natsu stumbled. Was she still that upset?

The team stepped into their room and stood in the entryway. It was quiet, too quiet for the rowdy team. Lucy kicked off her shoes and quite literally fell into bed. She groaned, burying herself under the blanket.

"The hotel is serving dinner now… Maybe we should go eat." _She has to eat something_. Natsu thought. _I'm starting to worry…_

Her lack of response only furthered his concern. The boy looked down to Happy, who had a similar expression of confusion on his face.

"Happy, go raid the buffet. I'll be down in a minute." He flashed the cat a smile, and soon he was alone with Lucy, hyperaware of her presence under the sheets.

"Lucy…" He said quietly, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I can get you a plate of food if you don't feel like walking anymore."

She rolled over wordlessly, her back facing him. Pangs of hurt and rejection resounded through him, only making him angry at his own emotions.

_Shit. I broke Lucy_.

"Lucy, c'mon." He pleaded. "Why won't you talk to me? I'm sorry I messed up Lucy, I'm really sorry but-" He felt his voice nearing on cracking as his bottom lip began quivering.

"Please talk to me."

Natsu was very still, keen on waiting for a reaction which she never gave. Lucy began sinking deeper into the mattress, andthe boy sighed, leaving the room to find her some food. Downstairs, Happy was stuffing his face with salmon.

"Natsu~ I'm gunna be down here for awhile, it's all you can eat salmon!" his friend told him in between mouthfuls. The pinkette gave his cat friend a pat on the head, glad that at least one of his partners was in a good mood.

He made his way to the buffet, but he couldn't seem to find anything he wanted to eat. All of his emotions had spoiled his appetite. In a zombie-like state, Natsu filled up a plate with whatever he could find and trudged back up to the room. He was dismayed to see that Lucy hadn't moved.

"You should eat." He put simply, setting the plate down on the bedside table. She remained motionless, and Natsu was starting to wonder if she was getting sick from her injuries. He decided that he would take a shower to clear his head, but Lucy never really furthered herself from his mind. She was always there, like a necessity.

As he stepped into the shower, Natsu let the hot water run over his head for a long while, not paying attention to how much time had passed as his mind traveled. This was his first really big fight with Lucy in a long time, and the battle was more one-sided than anything. Whenever they had fought before, her anger was obvious and well-voiced, but now it was like she didn't even have the spirit to defend herself. It wasn't like her at all. He exhaled deeply, lifting his head up to let the water run down his chest.

And just when he thought he and Lucy were always on the same wavelength… He had no idea what she was thinking… he couldn't read her at all.

He turned the water off, drying himself down with a towel instead of flames. His fire just didn't seem to have the right spark to it when he was upset…

The boy stepped outside to see Lucy wrapped up in the blanket, her food now cold and untouched. She was asleep from what he could tell, but the distinct scent of tears lingered in the room, and this alone upset the boy. Stubborn as he was, he didn't want to leave his partner.

Like a loyal dog, Natsu plopped himself down on the small couch and hugged a pillow close to his head. His eyelids drooped.

_Please don't be mad at me Lucy. Please don't hate me…_


	4. Chapter 4

Lucy remained still, feigning sleep as Natsu dozed off. She couldn't face him, not after what had happened. How could she? Everything he had said the night before was true. She was wrong to climb that mountain, she was wrong to put herself in danger like that. She lost it when he spoke of the dragons, not being able to contain her tears. He had no idea…

_"…No… Lucy….."_

She turned over and looked toward the couch where her partner laid. _He must be asleep…_ She let out a soft sigh as her thoughts continued. _I don't understand why he is so fixated on helping me… I know I'm his partner, and I know that he hates to see me in pain, but I just can't face him. I'm keeping a horrendous secret from him… what am I supposed to do? Pretend that everything is fine, that nothing happened on that mountain? I don't have it in me… I can't think of anything to say to him… I can barely even look at him without feeling the urge to break down in tears. How long is it going to be like this…_

Suddenly, Natsu violently gasped for air, springing up like a bullet in a panicked attempt to catch his breath.

_Shit._

Her feet hit the floor in an instant, pain shooting up her leg from the impact. She ignored it, rushing to her partner as he sat upright on the couch.

"Natsu, what's wro-"

Instantly he sprung forward, clinging to her as if his life depended on it. He was sobbing quietly, tears drenching her tank top as he held her close.

She sat there, unsure of what to do. She had never seen Natsu in this state… scared out of his mind of god knows what… he was shaking violently and obviously out of touch with his surroundings.

Her instincts kicked in as she slowly lowered herself onto the couch, scooting as close to him as she could and cradling his head on her shoulder. She ran her hand through his hair…. The strands damp with sweat along with the rest of his body.

"Natsu…. Natsushhh… its okay… its okay…"

As he tightened his grip on her, his sobs growing deeper, she felt the sores on her back screaming in pain, but she didn't care. Natsu… strong, cheerful, rambunctious Natsu… was desperately drawing himself into her embrace, tears streaming down his face as if he had just lost his closest friend. His sobs had started out somewhat quiet as if they were stuck in his throat, but now they were gut wrenching, practically howls of anguish that were growing more and more desperate as time progressed. Natsu was breaking down in her arms, practically hysterical after being drawn out of whatever nightmare he had been fighting through.

"I…. I need you… to be okay… I don't- I don't want you to leave…" he pleaded, his voice shaky and quiet.

"Natsu, what are you talking about? I'm not going anywhere! I'm fine Natsu,everything's fine."She pulled him in deeper, trying to keep him from panicking any further. He let all of his weight drop onto her, clinging to her shirt as he shook his head, not able to describe what he was feeling.

She shifted his weight, placing his head on her chest as his hands dropped to his side. She wrapped her arms across his broad shoulders as he tried to steady his breathing. "I-I can't let anything happen to you, Lucy... I can't... and... and on the mountain... you got hurt... I'm so sorry Lucy... I'm so sorry I let it happen..."

Her eyes widened as she came to the realization that he had been blaming himself for this entire ordeal. "No… No,Natsu, no. It's not your fault! I went up that mountain because I wanted to, because I wanted to help you. None of this is your fau-"

"Yes it is! I should have trusted you… I should have told you everything! But… but I didn't, and you got hurt... and all I did was yell at you for it..."

Oh if he only knew…

She fought back tears, not allowing herself to tell him how wrong he was. She was the last person he should trust, she was the last person who deserved to be in his heart. She was betraying his trust at that very moment… he had no idea what she was keeping from him.

As he nuzzled into her shoulder, she was drawn out of her thoughts. "Natsu… Natsuit's okay…"

"It's not! It's not okay! I was horrible to you! I hate myself for it! I didn't help you... and now your angry at me... you hate me for it too-"

"DON'T EVEN SAY THAT, NATSU!"

He froze as she raised her voice, hanging onto her words. "Natsu, that's not true! None of that's true! I don't hate you, I'm not angry at you! Dont ever say that I hate you ever again!" At this point tears were streaming down her cheek, burning in her eyes like acid. _Me… hate him?! Out of all the idiotic things for him to say… I could never hate him, even if I wanted to! And that word, that goddamn word… Natsu can't hate anyone, not even himself! Igneel said he can't… for his own good..._

He slowly raised his head, his eyes pouring into hers, confused and pained. "If you don't hate me… why are you ignoring me? Why won't you talk to me? You're hurting… and you won't let me help you... I can't stand seeing you like this Lucy, I can't..."

She bit her lip, hugging him tighter as she tried to find the words to fix this. _This isn't what I wanted… This isn't what I meant to do! I wasn't ignoring him because I was mad… It wasn't because I was angry and shutting him out… I just didn't know how to talk to him! How could I face him, knowing I was betraying him? Even looking at him… it was unbearable! It would have been so much easier if he had just been furious, seething with rage and making himself seem like the bad guy. It would have been so simple to shut him out… but no. This is Natsu. He forgave me in a heartbeat, andall he wanted to do was help me. He was kind and concerned, just like always. He was gentle with me, doing everything he could to try and make me better. To anyone else, it must have looked like I was simply refusing him because I was angry, too angry to even deal with the situation. It wasn't like that though! It wasn't like that at all!_

"Natsu,I'm not mad at you! I swear I'm not... I just don't know how to face you! I did everything you said not to do, and I got hurt just like you were afraid of! I didn't know what to say... I didn't deserve your help... But you just kept trying-"

"Of course I tried!" his voice rang throughout the room."Lucy you're miserable, you're hurting something awful and you won't let me help you! You just sit there silently and hurt... all by yourself. Isn't it lonely? I don't want you to be lonely... and you don't need to be! Lucy, I want to make you better, but you won't let me... please... please let me help you..."

She swore she could hear her heart break upon hearing his plea. She couldn't do this to him. She couldn't shut him out like this. It wasn't fair! She was the one who should be sad, who should feel guilty. She was the one harboring the secret!

"...Okay Natsu... you can help me..."

"YOU PROMISE?!" He held her tight, his voice desperate as his eyes met hers. She remained still for a moment, unsure of how to respond.

"... to be honest... the sores on my back are making it hard for me to sleep... if I could have a wet rag to put on it-"

He shot up, dashing into the bathroom and fumbling around with the water. He ran back into the room, a towel damp with cool water draped in his hands.

She let out a soft sigh, limping back to the bed and laying on her stomach. Natsu sat on the edge and lifted up the back of her shirt, flinching as he saw how irritated and red her sores were. He gently placed the towel on her back, tensing slightly as he saw her wince. It stung at first, but after a few seconds, the cool water began soothing her injuries. As her face became more relaxed, the boy brushed her bangs out of her eyes, letting his hand rest in her hair.

"… You okay?"

She smiled at him gently, turning her head so she could look him in the eyes. "…mhmm… are you okay?"

"Yeah… I'm okay."

She stayed that way for a moment, not wanting to break away from his gaze. A wave of drowsiness ran over her as her eyelids became heavy.

The door opened and a certain blue cat wandered in, his stomach extended and a satisfied look on his face.

"Natsu... sorry... I went into a fish coma..." He lazily rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, freezing in place as he spotted Lucy on the bed. He looked to Natsu hesitantly before climbing up and placing his little paws on her arm. "Lucy... Are you back to normal again?"She smiledand nodded to him, pulling him in for a hug. "Yeah… I'm okay. I'm really sorry I worried you guys..." Happy looked up at her with soft eyes. "No,it's okay Lucy… as long as you feel better now. Right, Natsu?"

The boy smiled as he looked down at Lucy, his voice calm and comforting. "Right."

She let herself relax upon hearing their words, her breathing becoming slower as sleep began tempting her. Natsu must have noticed her dozing off and proceeded to lift the towel off of her back, pulling down her shirt and covering her with the blanket once again. She brought it to her chin, nuzzling into its warmth. Natsu patted her head gently, keeping his voice quiet as he spoke. "You can sleep in tomorrow, okay? I'll pack your bags for you." She smiled, her eyes making a futile attempt to stay open. "Okay… thank you."

With that, the boy stood up and traveled back to the couch, Lucy drifting to sleep as he lay back down.

Her eyes fluttered open to the sound of a bag being zipped up. She rubbed the sleep away, stretching as she sat upright.

"Mornin' Lucy~" Happy chimed as he flew to her side. "We packed your bags for you!"

She scanned the room to see everything was cleaned up, and Natsu was putting their bags by the door. He smiled at her, still a little tired after what had happened last night.

"You can have some of my salmon for breakfast if you want! The chef said I could have what was left since I liked it so much."

She giggled, amused by Happy's offer. "That sounds great, Happy."

He flew into the air, overjoyed with himself. "Aye!" With that, he flew out of the room, off to raid the kitchen.

She threw the sheets off of her as she looked down to her feet that dangled above the floor. Her ankle was horribly swollen and tinted blue and green. She frowned as she stepped onto the ground and tried to put on her boots.

"Lucy, there's no need to rush. We don't have to leave until noon." Natsu stated as he brought over a bag of pre-prepared ice to put on her ankle. "Just rest a little more. I don't think that your foot will go in that boot the way it is now."

She smiled as she sat down on the couch, elevating her leg so her ankle was higher than her chest. "You're probably right,"a slight chuckle spread between her words. "It looks like someone pumped a balloon full of air into my ankle."

"And then they tried to spray paint it to make it look better."

They both laughed, amused by their little metaphor. It felt nice, being able to talk to him like this again.

A few moments passed after he placed the ice on her foot, the two of them unsure of what to say.

"So… are you feeling any better?" The boy asked awkwardly, standing up to set her boots back by the door.

"Yeah… my back isn't as sore as it was last night."

"That's good..."

The mages sat in an uncomfortable silence before Lucy spoke.

"Natsu… do you have nightmares a lot?"

He let out a slight chuckle, his smile somewhat tired as he looked back to her. "It's okay Lucy... I used to have them a lot, but now that I can break into your house and hang out with you, it's not so bad."

Lucy blinked, taken aback by his reply. _Is that… Is that why he comes to visit me so often? I make his nightmares go away…?_

She gave him a hesitant smile as she continued. "I guess I should leave my window open more often."

He laughed at that, his smile more enthusiastic now. "Yeah, that might make it easier!"

She removed the ice and traveled across the floor, wrapping him up in a hug as she placed her chin on his chest. "Well, if you ever have a nightmare like that again, come and get me, okay?" She flashed him a smile as she squeezed him tighter.

He chuckled as a wide grin spread across his face. "You're such a weirdo."

At that moment Happy flew back in, freezing as he saw his friends wrapped up in an embrace. A sly smile danced across his face as he teased his boy companion. "You liiiiikeeherrrr~"

She blushed, unwrapping herself from Natsu as he began chasing the cat around the room. "Dammit Happy!" Lucy laughed and began eating her salmon, watching the ordeal as if it was some sort of show. After a few minutes, Lucy had finished her breakfast and slid on her boots without much trouble. The ice had really helped. Natsu huffed as he opened up the door, nodding toward the hallway with a slight blush on his face. "Come on guys… we have a train to catch."

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My partner and I appreciate the feedback, and chapter 5 will be up soon!


	5. Chapter 5

Natsu watched Happy float around in lazy circles above him, watching Charla. The boy had come into the guild early that day in hopes of getting a good mission,and he had. Now he just had to wait for Lucy to show up.

Things had been weird between them since the mountain thing and the nightmare incident, and that was two weeks ago. It wasn't necessarily a bad weird though. Natsu had been checking up on Lucy everyday to see how her injurieswere, and he couldn't help but notice how close they were becoming. He readily accepted how comfortable he was with Lucy, but it was a bit stupefying for him to think that he and Lucy could get closer than they already were.

Natsu turned around to see Lucy loudly barge into the guild. Speak of the devil. It was way too early in the morning for her to be causing such a ruckus, but he was happy to see her nonetheless. She was yelling his name, frantically looking for him.

"What's up Lucy?" He yelled happily to her with a wave. Natsu vaguely worried that she was mad at him, but he was abruptly distracted by how rosy her face looked.

"Say… are you okay? You seem kind of red." He said with got up from his bar stool and made his way over to the entrance- stepping over a few sleepy drunks- to where Lucy stood.

"N-Natsu…. y-you are _not_going to believe what that Jason guy wrote about us in Sorcerer's Weekly!" she stammered out, the magazine crumpling in her shaking palms. "H-He dedicated a page to "Fairy Tail's most compatible team," And -Well you remember when he interviewed us, right? … Well it says here, and I quote : "When asked if there was any sort of romantic feelings between the two mages, they vigorously denied it. However, as a reporter with years of experience, I expect it won't be long before…." Lucy took a deep breath. "It won't be long before Fairy Tail's most compatible team becomes its most compatible… c-couple." She looked up from the magazine article, and Natsu couldn't meet her eyes.

"C-Couple?!Couple of what? Couple of clams I bet because we're peachy just the way we are!" He was rambling nonsense and he knew it. Natsu felt dazed as he swung his arm around Lucy's shoulder, his cheeks and ears heating up. The pinkette remembered that interview fairly well. Lucy smelled like vanilla that day, and he had shamelessly made a game out of smelling her, just to embarrass the girl. Jason must have taken notice and misinterpreted it somewhere along the line. Ah, but he needed to fix this…

He twirled her around so she was facing him, his arms planted on her shoulders.

"It's easy Lucy, just tell anyone who asks that we aren't a couple. Set 'em right, ya know?" He grinned at her, deciding he was clever for figuring out their problem so quickly. She frowned at him.

"Natsu, it's not that simple! It is written right here in the magazine that we are a soon-to-be couple! Do you have any idea how many people read this magazine?! They will ALL think we are…. t-together… without asking us at all! Plus, if _anyone_ in the guild reads this, we will_never_ hear the end of it, no matter _how hard we deny it_!" Lucy shook her head, going through worst case scenarios, no doubt.

Natsu frowned once again feeling Lucy's heartbeat speed up. She was more worried than she let on. If it was possible for a person to be both flushed and pale at the same time, she was doing that now.

He pulled away from her and suddenly grabbed her wrist, yanking her towards a darker corner of the guild and earning some looks from passing guild mates.

And on top of that, she didn't even like his plan. He drew up some other ideas in his head. Burn every new copy of sorcerer weekly? No, that could be problematic. They had to do something to make people think they weren't a couple…

Abashed, Natsu looked to Lucy, a blush spreading across his cheeks. He gulped audibly and closed the distance between the two mages.

"I have another plan…" He whispered gently, cupping his hand around her ear, "We'll pretend to be a couple for a day- or at least until everyone thinks we're together- then we can 'break up' in public somewhere and then nobody will bother us about it anymore!" He grinned cheekily. The wheels in his head were starting to turn faster. He always came up with crazy ideas in Lucy's presence.

His rational side reared its ugly head.

_I've never really cared about what other people said, unless it was about the guild,but what will I do when people askme why me and Lucy broke up? What will happen when people see that things are completely normal after a loud end to a relationship?_

He shook his head. Thinking about the future made him queasy. And besides, this was the best plan he could come up with. He looked back to Lucy- who wasn't recovering from her blush anytime soon.

"Whaddya say, Lu~ cy~" He snickered, cutely drawing out the syllables of her name. This was gonna be fun.

"I-I guess we could try it. It's not like we can come up with anything better before everyone sees the article. B-but I've never even had a boyfriend! How are we supposed to act like a c-couple?!" She exclaimed, still trying to whisper.

Natsu felt his heart skip a beat when Lucy said 'boyfriend'. This situation they were in had made him nervous- but if he was rattled, Natsu knew that Lucy was twice as rattled by this. He had to treat this delicately-

He made the mistake of glancing at her. Her demeanor had changed, and she looked like she was ready to tackle this challenge head on. Her eyes shone with determination and trust, trust for him. He couldn't help but smile.

-screw being delicate, he and Lucy could do this! Although, he had no idea what new couples did. The only couple in the guild was Alzack and Bisca, and he wasn't around when they started dating. The pinkette would just have to trust that Lucy had a better idea of what to do, even if she really didn't. That's what she did with him everyday, after all.

"Don't be so worried, Lucy. Think of this fake relationship like a mission- we'll just tackle it head on and with all our strength!" He said with a cheeky grin. She smiled back and nodded at him in agreement.

"…You know, " he said after a moment, "I don't like the word fake. We're just pretending, right? We aren't fake, so let's make this as fun as we can!" He declared, wondering if he had the guts to go through with this. No mission had ever been too difficult for Natsu, but this one was going to give him a run for his money.

He must have said something right, because she flashed him her signature breath-taking smile. "Right. A lot is riding on this after all! So… when do we start this 'mission' of yours?"

He gave her a hesitant grin.

"O-Oi! Lucy!" He shouted, purposefully trying to gain the attention of his guild mates. Grabbing Lucy's hand, he stomped over to the guild entrance. A great amount of guild members turned to see what ruckus Natsu was up to now.

"Er, let's get a shake!" He loudly proclaimed. The boy tripped and stumbled awkwardly seeing how many people were reading the new edition of Sorcerer Weekly.

He steered himself and Lucy to the bar counter, haphazardly dodging tables and chairs in all his sudden clumsiness. Why was his head spinning? He mumbled his order to Mirajane and quickly looked down, so he wouldn't see the barmaid's reaction.

Natsu fell onto a barstool and looked to Lucy, steam practically coming out of his ears. A moment of silence passed, and Natsu realized he had no idea what to talk about.

He finally caught her eye and whispered, "What… What do we say? Mushy stuff?"Her lips parted as if she was going to say something, but at that moment, Mirajane came back, sliding one strawberry milkshake- equipped with two straws- to the fuming "lovers".

Natsu eyed the milkshake as if it were poison and not sweet strawberry goodness. He took the straw into his mouth for a hesitant sip. He smiled suddenly- Mira's food was always good. He glanced up at Lucy as if telling her that she needed to do something. Her cheeks flamed red, and Natsu wasn't sure if he looked any different.

She gingerly tapped a small wisp of cream onto his nose as she leaned in for a sip of their lover's liquid. "O-oh Natsu, you're such a c-cutie~ You have some w-whipped cream riiiigghhtttt…." Her trembling hand slowly reached for the cherry on their milkshake and touched it to the edge of his nose. "…here."

In a swift yet gentle movement, she swiped the whipped cream onto the juicy fruit and brought it to her glossy lips. Natsu couldn't speak after such a bold gesture, only being able to stare at her in wide eyed shock. She began nervously fidgeting in the leather bar stool and batting her lashes at the ground. She slowly raised her head until their eyes met.

Natsu couldn't care less if his guild mates were watching, he was in his own world now. A world that consisted of only himself and the sweet angel in front of him.

Wait, what…?

His mind was clouded heavily, and he felt warm. Like a smothering, humid warm. Natsu felt his limbs go limp and he swore he was going to melt at any moment just watching her.

They locked eyes, and Natsu felt the fire in his belly roar. He scooted closer to her, practically falling out of his own seat. On a whim he grabbed a large nearby spoon and scooped up some the foamy shake. He brought it to his lips and watched Lucy through half lidded eyes. Natsu knew he had her full attention now, and probably the guild's too. Natsu licked his lips nervously. He shakily scooped up more of the liquid and carefully held Lucy's chin, guiding her mouth open. "O-open up d-d-darling." He said, his voice cracking pathetically. Natsu couldn't breathe as he watched her take the spoon into her mouth, her cheeks puffing up a little from the liquid. He unconsciously licked his lips again and felt his face grow warmer- if that was even possible.

Too warm actually.

He broke his gaze away from Lucy, swiveling in his chair and grabbing the milkshake, gulping it down and cooling his body.

_This is no time to be overheating! _He vigorously reminded himself, _It's just an act! All pretend! There's no reason I to be getting so worked up over it!_

"Oi! When are the two lovers having kids?"

Natsu heard someone from the back yell that for the entire guild to hear. He instantly spit out his drink, unfortunately, right onto Lucy's blouse. To make it fair though, the portion she had in her mouth (no doubt in too much shock to have swallowed) was now lying in Natsu's lap.

"What?!" They both furiously cried. People in the guild were ranging from snickering to full on clutching their side and rolling on the floor in laughter. Natsu ran a hand through his hair nervously.

"C'mon love," Natsu mumbled, taking his pretend girlfriend's arm and lead her outside. "Let's get cleaned up." The boy recognized how sad Lucy looked, and decided he would take it upon himself to make this more fun for her. Lucy wasn't going to be upset about this, not while he was around. Natsu would be the best (pretend) boyfriend Lucy ever had!

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_Reviews give us the warm fuzzies, and they're much appreciated!_


	6. Chapter 6

She felt a wave of relief wash over her as her partner took her arm and walked her outside. She really wanted to get out of the guild, which was a very rare thing. The entire spectacle they had just created made her feel like crying. Maybe it was because this was all for show, maybe it was because being with Natsu like this reminded her of what she was hiding from him, or maybe this was simply how relationships were supposed to be. Either way she didn't like how heavy her heart felt as she walked out the door.

"Let's go back to my house" she said quietly, feeling drained of all of her energy at this point. "I need to take a shower, and I think I have an old pair of your clothes you accidentally put in my bag one time during a mission."

He nodded, not letting their eyes meet as he led her up the street and to her apartment, ignoring whispers and gasps from the local townspeople. It seemed he was just as wiped out from this ordeal as she was.

As he stepped inside and closed the door, she felt tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. What in the world was going on with her? Were fake relationships supposed to be this intense?

"L-Lucy… are you okay?"

She realized there was only way to stop herself from breaking down in tears.

Immediately, she was clutching her side, doubled over with laughter. What in the world had they gotten themselves into?!

She heard her 'boyfriend's' slight chuckle turn into a full-blown fit of laughter, and before she knew it, they were both clinging to each other, trying to catch their breath in between outbursts. They had made themselves look like total idiots today!

After a few minutes, she wiped the corners of her eyes, her throat sore from her case of the giggles, and looked at the clock. It was 7:32 pm.

"N-Natsu –hehehe- Natsu, you should change clothes and get going." She said with a giggle. "I'm really tired."

He pulled himself together, lifting himself off the floor.

"Yeah, you're probably right! I'm kinda worn out too."

With that he went into the bathroom with his worn out outfit, coming out a few moments later fully dressed and a sleepy smile on his face.

"Get some rest, okay? I'll be back tomorrow for phase two of our 'mission'."

The thought of having to go through all of this again tomorrow only made her more exhausted as she saw Natsu off.

_I honestly don't think I have it in me to go through with this plan…_

She spent the next few hours trying to relax, replaying the day's events in her head.

_How did it come to this? I've been working so hard to put on a smile for Natsu… at least while he's watching. I just seem to… breakdown when I'm away from him. All I can think about is what it would be like if he hated me… if he didn't want to see me anymore. Well, if he hates me, he won't have the chance to see anyone anymore…_

Lucy rolled over onto her stomach, too lost in thought to care about comfort_._

_Why does he have to be pure, anyways? What about the other slayers? I can imagine that Gajeel, Sting, Rogue, Laxus, and Cobra aren't pure… they have hurt many innocent people, although they have all changed since then. I guess it's a one-strike system… but what about Wendy? What did she do? Igneel acted as if Natsu was the ONLY pure slayer left… when did Wendy become impure? When I first met her, she was scared… and she wouldn't fight… does a slayer have to fight for everyone? Is that why she isn't pure? She lost her fighting spirit? This entire weight that Natsu has on his shoulders to be pure… it seems unfair… and I don't think he even knows!_

She scowled into her pillow.

_Does he even know the balance of our races hangs on his purity?_

She put on her pjs as she lost herself in thought again.

_It might be simpler to keep him pure if I just left him alone… so he would never know what happened and he would never hate me… but he gets so lonely… and honestly, I do too. I love being with Natsu; it's always more fun that way. _She thought as she sat on the edge of the bed.

_I thought being with him today would only make me think more about what happened on that mountain, but for some reason, I've actually thought about it less. Seeing this new side of Natsu… this klutzy, flustered Natsu… it's interesting._

Gathering the blanket around her body, she slipped under the sheets.

_ I've seen two new sides to Natsu recently… to see him vulnerable and scared… and now to see him flirty and romantic… it seems so out of character for him, but I think it might just be because I don't know every side of him… To know what it's like to be the person Natsu runs to with his problems… the one he can show sides of him that no one else see's… I feel like I'm somehow journeying into a part of Natsu no one has ever been before… I'm curious to be honest… but I don't deserve to be that person! He doesn't understand! The only part of him I deserve to explore at this point… is the side of him that hates me… but even that side, it isn't allowed to surface… I have to keep it safe… I have to protect him, without his knowledge. I can't let him hate me… but it's so hard to keep this secret when he trusts me so much!_

As she turned off the lights, she let out a heavy sigh.

_All of this is too much. It's just too much._

When her head hit the pillow, the tears started flowing. Her chest hurt, her face was hot, and her eyes were burning as the tears ran down her cheek, but something about it felt… good. She had been dealing with so many pent-up emotions… Obviously this entire day had made her insane. She slowly counted strawberry milkshakes until she fell asleep.

Her eyes flew open to the sound of a knock on the door. She scrambled to her feet, wiping her eyes of any tears she might have shed in her sleep. Luckily she didn't feel like crying anymore, although she still had no clue why she had felt the urge last night.

The knock came again, along with his voice. "Lucy? You in there?" The pinkette's tone sounded slightly concerned. When she looked to the clock, she saw it was 11:47 am. She never slept in that late! This whole fake relationship was absolutely exhausting. She wasn't sure she could last another day, but it had to be done so she took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Hi Natsu…" she immediately perked herself up when she saw a frown form on his lips. She shouldn't worry him.

"S-sorry, I just woke up! I must have been really tired…" she said, waving her arms to prove she was fine.

She paused as she saw that Happy wasn't with him. She was going to ask where his furry companion was, but then she saw caught his gaze. He had a playful look in his eyes, as if he had something planned, and he was determined to have fun. All of the anxiety of yesterday had vanished from his aura as he flashed her a smile. Suddenly, she didn't feel tired anymore. "What are you planning, Natsu? You look like you're up to no good~"

His grin widened, obviously pleased that he had piqued her curiosity. "You'll see Lu~ cy~" he teased deviously, leaning into her face and drawing out the syllables of her name just like yesterday. He threw his arm around her shoulder, and she knew he had caught on to her strange mood. Natsu and his nose could always sense when she had been crying. She felt warmth creep into her chest when he got closer to her. He cared about her so much… He always made sure she was happy and safe. He held her close when she felt alone, and stayed by her side even when she was at peace. He was always there for her….

Has it always been that way? Looking back, she couldn't remember a single time since the day they met that Natsu wasn't by her side. Whenever she needed him, he was already there. She always realized that in battle, but thinking of it now, it was always like that. Even regular everyday issues, Natsu was always there for her. How had she not realized this until now?

"We're gunna have some fun today, love!"

His voice brought her back to reality. Fun? He had something up his sleeve for sure. Natsu's idea of fun usually consisted of burning things up, but the soft look in his eyes suggested something different. When he extended his hand, she didn't care anymore. Whatever he was planning, she wanted in on it. Every day with Natsu was an adventure, and today was no different.

He took her hand and began leading her down the street. His palms weren't sweaty like yesterday… it felt kind of nice, holding his hand like that…

As he led her down the stairs and towards Magnolia Square, she felt a weight lift off of her chest. This day wasn't going to be like yesterday, she was sure of it. Neither of them was nervous, and they were going to have a good time at wherever Natsu was taking them.

As they made their way to their destination, she heard laughter and music. There was a fair in town! She knew Magnolia was known for having quality carnivals and fairs, but this was amazing! There were funnel cakes, cotton candy, petting zoos, live music, photo booths, clowns, and tons of rides! She had never seen a fair so lively! She looked up at Natsu, his eyes sparkling with excitement. She felt herself fill with a childlike sense of delight. She pulled herself closer to him and flashed him a smile. "What do we do first, hon~eeeyyy 3"

He chuckled at her flirty nickname as his eyes darted from booth to booth, trying to find something that was more appealing than the rest. He spotted a dart throwing stand and a whimsical grin bloomed on his face.

"Lucy! Let's play the dart game!" He exclaimed, apparently forgetting about their date and the dumb pet names. They ran to the booth at full speed, hand in hand, laughing at the people whispering about them being a couple.

She paid no mind to how sketchy the carney running the booth was as she watched Natsu throw three beat up darts at the colorful balloons on the board. Not surprisingly, he missed all three. His aim wasn't very good anyways. His magic didn't really require it.

The fire mage balked at his inaccuracy with the silly game, and stubbornly tried again. She couldn't help but giggle at how cute he looked, putting so much effort into the game. The carney wasn't helping any, tempting Natsu with more and more darts. It was becoming sort of a spectacle really with all the noise Natsu was making.

Lucy pulled him away from the game once he threatened to set the booth and the carney on fire. She laughed as she began looking for more booths.

Suddenly, Natsu spun her around and got sinfully close to her face, his breath dancing with hers. She was going to ask what he was doing, but she couldn't get out the words. The seductive look in his eye… she was completely powerless, and she didn't understand why.

"Lucy, sweet peach, darling lover-" He spoke in a husky growl, leaning towards her face. She blushed madly, unsure of what to think of this sudden turn of events. Before she could contemplate it any further, Natsu sprung back with a cheeky smile.

"You wanna watch me eat pie?!"

…huh?

Natsu grabbed her arm and began dragging her to a nearby pie eating contest. _That little devil!_ She laughed as she stood at the bottom of the stage. He waved at her, giving her a thumbs up as if he was promising her that he would win. She waved back, her head still reeling from his seductive tease.

_Is this what it's like to be in a relationship with Natsu? One minute he's being playful, trying to burn something to the ground… the next he is in your face, seductively growling at you, only to jump back and be playful again? He's such a tease… it's kind of…. Exciting, though. _

Fast forward one pie eating contest, (winner!) Lucy spotted a duck fishing game.

"What the heck? You don't fish for ducks! You fish for fish!" The pinkette exclaimed, convinced that there was absolutely no logic in this feral carnival environment.

She ignored his ignorance, pulling him to the stand. "Here, all you do is take this net and try to catch a duck with it."

He looked at her as if she was crazy. "Well, even if this doesn't make any sense, at least it'll be easy!"

With a swish of his net, he tried to catch a rubber duck. Suddenly the net ripped, and his face blanked. He blinked a few times before throwing his hands in the air and yelling out in frustration.

"WHAT THE HELL, LUCY? THE NETS ARE RIGGED!"

She threw her head back and laughed, pleased with his reaction. "Of course they are, you idiot! You didn't think it was going to be that simple, did you?!"

He scowled at the realization that this game was more difficult than it appeared, but soon grinned and tackled the challenge head on. She couldn't help but smile as he began desperately attacking the rubber ducks with his remaining nets, catching quite a few in the process.

"Winner!"

The carney chuckled, exclaiming about how entertaining it was to watch someone attack the ducks so vigorously. He brought down an overstuffed teddy bear from the top shelf and handed it to Natsu.

"Give it to your girl there yeah? She's been giving you bedroom eyes since before you started playing. You're a lucky man." The carney laughed and clapped him on the back before Natsu could say anything. She felt her face heat up and immediately locked her eyes on the ground, not wanting to see Natsu's reaction. Had she really been looking at him that way?

She shook the thought away as Natsu handed her his prize. "Here ya go buttercup." Natsu said as he gave Lucy the bear, neither of them very affected by the pet names anymore. He ran his hand down her arm and found her hand, grasping it. It sent shivers up her spine, his delicate touch. Did he have any idea what he was doing? Well it really wasn't out of the ordinary for a couple… why was it affecting her so strongly?

The 'couple' walked along, it was getting late and not many people were still there.

As she walked hand-in-hand with her 'boyfriend', she looked back on their date. This had been the best day of her life. She had been to festivals and fairs before, but something about being with Natsu made it all the more enjoyable. Seeing his face light up when he spotted a new game, watching his eyes dart from side to side, his tongue poking out from between his lips as he concentrated made her feel so…. fulfilled. It was a strange feeling, like nothing else really mattered except their date, their moment.

She felt the need to finish off this date with something extra-romantic. She scanned the landscape, looking for the perfect ride. Looking up at him, he seemed to be doing the same.

That's when she saw it. Off in the west, the Ferris wheel was sitting in the sunset. Every good date at the fair always ended on the Ferris wheel!

"Natsu, Natsu! Take me on the Ferris wheel!" she squealed with delight.

He blinked for a moment, and then he flashed her a grin before dashing to the giant wheel. As he led her through the crowd and onto the seat, she felt like she was forgetting something. Ah well. She was with the 'man of her dreams' right now and she was going to enjoy it.

The ride started up with a jolt.

"Uugghhh.."

She felt his head in all its pink-haired glory hit her lap with a thud. _Shit_. she thought to herself. _He can't ride the farris wheel!_ She slowly stroked his head with concern, feeling like a complete idiot for letting his one weakness slip her mind.

"Natsu, why did you come up here with me? I totally forgot about your motion sickness!" She saw a slight smile spread across his face as he nuzzled his face into her thighs. "I-I'm okay, swe-sweetheart…" he moaned out with as much confidence as he could muster up in his current state. "I can handle it."

She softly caressed the back of his head, listening to him trying to steady his breathing. She could tell he was trying really hard to get himself together. He was going so far for her…. he must really lo-

… Wait… no, this was all wrong! This was an act! They were supposed to break up today! And as she looked at the setting sun, she could tell their mission was going to be over soon. They would probably have to break up after they got off the ride…

The wheel stopped as their seat reached the highest point. She could feel Natsu regaining his composure and sitting up straight again. They both stared off at the sunset for a moment… It truly was a sight to see. All the blinking lights in the dark made the atmosphere turn into something quite different than she was used to.

"Beautiful…" he said in a dazed voice. She slowly looked at the floor, kneading her hands together in her lap. She saw a frown spread across his face. "What's wrong, Luce?" Did he have to read her so well?

"Natsu…. today has been really fun." She said softly, leaning against him for a moment. "After this ride, it will all be over though… I mean, plenty of people have seen us… and we are in a public place… it would make sense to end it here. " She looked up into his eyes…. they were soft and gentle… completely fixated on her. On a whim, she reached up and traced his jaw line with her palm, pressing her lips against his cheek.

After a moment or two, she lifted her kiss and whispered softly in his ear,

"Out of all the people I could have had a pretend relationship with, I'm really glad it was you."

* * *

_Stay tuned if you haven't died yet from sweetness overdose_


	7. Chapter 7

The next few chapters will be uploaded quickly, as they're already done and whatnot

* * *

Without warning, her hand was on his face. He froze. _She wasn't going to…_

Her lips pressed against his cheek,lingering there for a moment. Natsu couldn't move if he tried- he was rattled to the bone by a simple kiss. This pretend relationship was very quickly turning into something very real.

"Out of all the people I could have had a pretend relationship with, I'm really glad it was you."

What did she mean by that? What did she mean by that _kiss_? She couldn't like him, no way. Why would she go through the trouble of fake dating him if she actually liked him?

_But that kiss! _Natsu was smart enough to know that people usually only kissed people they liked. He may be an idiot, but he wasn't THAT stupid. The boy felt his face heat up, his mouth clamping shut and rendering him unable to speak.

_Should I… Kiss her back? Damn it, I have no idea what I'm doing…_

Natsu let his body act accordingly to what he was feeling. With dark, affectionate eyes, he moved closer to Lucy- hovering close over her with his knee in between her legs.

"Lucy… I can't…" He breathed, his voice low and husky, the beginnings of a devious smile gracing his face. She didn't make a move to stop him.

At that moment, the Death Ferris wheel kicked back into motion. Thankfully, Lucy caught his head before he could smash it on the side of their car.

Well, so much for that.

They exited the wheel hand in hand, Natsu slowly recovering from his sickness. He didn't recall when they started holding hands again, but it seemed like such a natural thing now.

The fire mage started to giggle stupidly under his breath. She had kissed him! The spot where her lips touched was burning, and Natsu would've given his right arm at that moment to feel those lips again.

She elbowed him softly. "We need to break up somewhere public." She whispered. He blanked for a moment, not sure how he was going to do this. Natsu winked at his partner, leaning in to murmur flirtatiously in her ear. He was feeling bold.

"Show time, sweet lips."

He threw down her hand in a dramatic sweep of his arm. His eyes narrowed and he took on a defensive stance.

"What do you mean you want to break up?!" He yelled, gaining the attention of fair goers. Whispers spread about them; oh yes, they had definitely heard about the most compatible couple.

He caught Lucy's small smile at his dramatics before her posture took on one similar to his.

"You always come into my apartment uninvited!" She lashed at him. He tried really hard not to laugh, he did, but he caught up in how ridiculous this was- that, and the aftershock of the kiss was making him giddy.

"W-Well, you always wear too much perfume! I don't need to smell you from three rooms over!" He sputtered. Truthfully, he liked her perfume, and he could smell her from seven rooms away if anyone was counting. The growing audience seemed to think that was funny, and a few chuckles rippled through the crowd.

"You can't tie your shoelaces!"

"I don't even wear shoes with laces!"

Their smirks were showing heavily through the guise of outrage they wore. At this point it took all they could muster not to break out into laughter, so Natsu thought it was time to complete the mission.

"It's over, Lucy Heartfilia! But I still wanna be friends!" He said with utter seriousness.

"Likewise! Let's meet up for a mission tomorrow!" She nodded.

"Can we stop for lunch first?!" He exclaimed, still shouting.

"Of course!" She smiled, taking his hand again and exiting the fair grounds, leaving behind a baffled crowd and a kiss at the top of a Ferris wheel that Natsu couldn't completely wrap his head around yet.

"You know, you're the best pretend girlfriend I've ever had, Lucy."

She blushed at his small comment and squeezed his hand. Lucy didn't say anything, but Natsu knew she felt the same. He wasn't sure where the urge to tell her that came from, but he didn't regret saying it either.

Natsu's head hit the pillow as soon as he returned home. He groaned. Why did his chest feel so heavy? But more than that, why did he feel like he had made a big mistake?

"I'm an idiot!" He yelled to no one in particular.

"And I'm blue!" Happy responded. Natsu flipped over, having forgotten that Happy was home. He chuckled softly as the cat hopped up on his hammock.

"Thanks Happy, very reassuring." Natsu said sarcastically, smiling at his companion despite his own uncanny inner turmoil.

"I'm gonna make some fish for dinner! Do you want some?" Happy asked, hopping off the hammock to find a fry pan.

"Mm… Nah, I'm not hungry." Natsu mused, ignoring Happy's expression of shock. The boy's mind was elsewhere, primarily on the subject of his celestial mage friend…

He wanted to go home with Lucy, in all honesty, but there was a part of him that knew they needed their space after this. And not just for appearance's sake.

He really needed to think.

What would it have been like if he had broken up with her for real? Much more serious, he guessed. But when he tried to think of reasons he would have broken up with her, nothing came to mind. Was that… wrong of him? If he couldn't find a reason for them not being together, doesn't that mean they _should _be together?

_Whoa. _Natsu stopped his train of thought there. _Those are dangerous thought, Natsu. She's just my friend. And I'm an idiot for thinking she might feel differently…_

Natsu rolled onto his stomach, not noticing as thoughts of Lucy drifted back to him.

Why do people break up anyways? Relationships had always confused the slayer, especially the way people his age tended to treat them. Two teenagers meet, somehow or another find out they like each other, confess, spend a few months with each other only to call it off in some torment of emotions. It never seemed appealing to Natsu until he saw Bisca and Alzack. He had never seen them dating, but he had heard about it and could see what it was like to be with someone you love. He guessed that was the difference… a lot of the people who date don't love each other. When a couple breaks up because they don't love each other anymore, do they end up hating each other? If he and Lucy had broken up for real, would he have ended up hating her?

_I don't think I could ever hate her… _He thought, _Come to think of it, I've never hated anyone before. Not really. I don't think I could hate someone who is good, no matter what they've done. Everyone has some level of decency and goodness in them._

Natsu let his mind wander childishly about the aspects of morals. Blindly accepting everyone could be considered a fool's task, but on the other side of the coin, living without hate could be one of the wisest acts ever preformed. Of course, Natsu didn't revel in such things as morals or whether he was wise or not. Not that he was ignorant, he just didn't care.

_Lucy told me not to talk about hate when I had that nightmare, and now I keep thinking about it. She's right though. And hate is such a strong emotion… I guess I can't decide to hate anyone until I've loved them first. It wouldn't be fair otherwise…_

Natsu rolled onto his side and dozed off, sinking slowly into a sleep without rest.


	8. Chapter 8

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us, Lucy?"

"Aye, we can wait for you if you want to come!"

Lucy put on a small smile before shaking her head. "No, you guys go without me. I want to take a break for a few days, but you really need some food money. I'll hold down the fort!"

The boys looked to each other, disappointed that Lucy wanted to stay home instead of going on a mission, but she was adamant about it. "Well, as long as that's what you wanna do, I guess…" Natsu scratched the back of his head. Why was he so fixated on spending time with her recently? Not that she minded it… she was really growing to like having Natsu around so often, but it was just a solo mission.

"Seriously guys, don't worry about it! I'll see you when you get back!"

She gave her partner a pat on the back before pushing him out the door along with his furry companion. "Now get going! You're gunna miss the train!"

The boy groaned, obviously not looking forward to the ride. "Fiiiiiiinnnneeeee!" he whined. "I'll see ya when I get back, Luce!"

"Bye bye, Lucy~!"

With that, the boys were out the door and Lucy sat down at the bar with a sigh.

"Is something wrong, Lucy? You seem a little down."

Lucy looked up to see a silver-haired bartender extending a cup of tea to her with a soft and compassionate smile. She smiled back, taking the cup of tea from her friend and bringing it to her lips.

"I'm okay, Mira-chan. I've just been tired recently… I think I'm going to head home and take a nap."

She got up from the bar, placing the cup on the counter. Mirajane waved her off, somewhat concerned but glad to see her trying to get some sleep.

As she got back to her apartment, she fell onto her mattress. _What's been going on with me recently? All I can seem to think about is Natsu. Sure, I probably should be thinking about him, considering all that has happened… I mean, of course I think about what Igneel told me and what happened on that mountain, but more and more, I'm thinking about him in general… all the fun times we have… all of these new sides to him that I am discovering… I shouldn't be thinking about him like this… it's like… it's like I'm starting to think of him… in a different way… and I just can't! Not only is thinking about Natsu that way simply crazy… he's my best friend for Mavis's sake! But also I can't get this close to Natsu with this secret! It's only making it harder not to tell him… being by his side, I don't want to hide anything from him! Spending all this time with him… it's really fun, but it's making everything so much more difficult! I need a break… from missions… from him… from everything. Maybe I should just stay home for a few days…_

Lucy sighed as she nuzzled into her pillow. She lay quietly in her thoughts before drifting off.

As she opened her eyes, she found the room was dark. She turned on the lamp by her bed and looked at the clock. 2:14 AM…. So much for taking a short nap, she had slept the day away! She lay in bed for a while, trying to go back to sleep, but to no avail. After an hour or 2, she rolled out of bed, deciding she needed to take a walk. She grabbed her keys and whip and walked out the door.

She traveled to the outskirts of the city, trying to clear her head of all the thoughts about Natsu and Igneel. As she reached the North side of the town's border, she saw a hooded figure gazing at the city. He turned to her, his eyes cold and fixated on her. She scowled, placing her hand on her keys as she approached the man.

"W-Who are you?"

The man didn't respond, returning his attention to the view of the city.

"Hey… I'm talking to you!"

Silence.

She frowned before pointing an accusing finger at him.

"Look, I don't know who you are or what you're doing, but you better not be planning anything sinister! The city of Magnolia is protected by Fairy Tail, and you don't want to be on our bad side!"

He shifted, his head lowering as he spoke. "…Fairy Tail, you say?"

She tensed as she heard his voice. It was low and cold, giving her chills. He stood up slowly, and she got ready to pull out her keys.

"There is no need for keys, young mage. You will need to save your strength."

"… What are you talking about…?"

The man flashed open his jacket, revealing a puff of violet smoke, blowing it toward her as it wrapped around her body.

"Hirō no noroi!"

Suddenly, the purple haze rushed into her body as she felt all of her energy drain out of her.

"W-what did you do to me!?" She screamed in a panic, unsure of what effects that purple haze might have.

"It's a curse, young mage. You will be cursed with exhaustion for the next 72 hours, and if you fall asleep, the members of your guild will be inflicted with a deep pain that they have never felt the likes of before. This is my gift to all magical guilds: exhaustion and pain. Enjoy your insomnia, young mage."

Before she could respond to what had happened, the man disappeared with a flash. She stood there in shock, her body becoming heavier by the second.

_Of course… of COURSE I get cursed with something like this! I thought I was supposed to be lucky!_ _A curse is far different than any sort of magic Levy-chan or Freed can undo… This creep would be the only one to remove the curse._

With no way to find the mage, she began dragging her exhausted body back to her house, already dreading the next few days.

Two days passed, and Lucy had reached a breaking point. She wandered into the guild for the first time since the incident, afraid to show her face in the state she was in, but knowing if she didn't keep herself busy, she would definitely fall asleep.

"Lucy, you don't look good." "Is something wrong?" "Are you sick?"

People kept on questioning her, but she didn't have time to explain herself. She doubted she could, even if she wanted to. She was so tired; she couldn't carry a coherent conversation, even if she tried. She sat at the bar, Mira looking at her with concern.

"Lucy, what's wrong?! You look even worse than when you left! Have you not been sleeping?"

Before she could answer, a certain fire dragon slayer flung open the door with a huff. "Uggghhhh I'm soo tired!" Natsu whined, placing his bag on the counter as Happy flew off to find Charla. "Lucy, did you have fun here-"

He froze at the sight of her. He blinked twice before furrowing his brow. "Lucy you look like you're dead." He said frankly. As he walked over to her, she stood up to back away. _He doesn't need to know about this. The last thing I need to do is worry him._

Unfortunately, she felt as though she was going to collapse and was forced to steady herself by grabbing the edge of the counter. He recognized the action immediately. He grabbed her shoulder and pushed her to a corner of the guild that was void of people, standing very close to her.

"Lucy, you're not acting like yourself. If you're tired, then go to bed." Natsu said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. He kept trying to look at her from different angles, but she avoided his gaze in an effort to hide her condition. He huffed indignantly.

"C'mon, we're taking you home." Natsu grumbled, bringing her arm around his shoulder to relieve her of some weight. "Happy! You head on home, I'll be back later." She tried to protest, but she was too tired to try and fight him. He was stronger than her on a regular day, let alone when she was like this. He lugged her across town and ended up quite literally throwing her onto her fluffy bed- he was obviously spent of his energy at this point. She wished he had just gone home, but he was obviously worried about her.

"Now are you gunna tell me what happened?" He said in a serious tone as he held her gaze.

Now that they were alone, she had no choice to answer him. He wouldn't leave her alone like this unless he knew she was okay. Why did he have to be so damn protective of her? Curse his slayer instincts… not that she ever minded them. In fact, any other day she loved how instinctive he was. It made her feel secure to know Natsu was going to make sure she was safe at any given moment. But today those instincts were going to leave her no choice but to tell Natsu what had happened.

"…Natsu…." She let out a shaky sigh- even her breath was weak, how pathetic – As she explained what had happened, she began swaying again - she couldn't even sit up straight? No wonder he was worried. She felt the slayer sit next to her, letting her lean on his chest as he held her shoulders steady. His warmth wasn't making this easier, but if she didn't have help sitting upright, she would definitely fall on the ground and into a deep sleep. She looked him in the eyes at this point. "He put a curse on me….. So that if I fall asleep, the people in the guild will feel excruciating pain. It will wear off around sunrise, and I'm not sleeping until then."

She heard him laugh in spite of himself. "That really is just like you… you're so defensive and loud mouthed! To go cause trouble to protect the guild and Magnolia, it's exactly what I would expect from you!" She pouted, not amused with his lack of sympathy, even though he was right. He gave her a tight squeeze.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's not funny." He said, gathering his thoughts again. "Excruciating pain doesn't sound fun, but I doubt you're enjoying this either." He turned her around, trying to support her enough so that she wouldn't fall over. "Lucy," He said in a low, serious voice. "I know you don't want to hurt the people you care about, but that doesn't mean you have to keep it from us. You don't have to do anything alone- and you're not doing this alone." He gave a slight smile.

"I'll stay here with you to make sure you stay up. That way no one gets hurt, right? Well, you will, but that's why I'm here-to make you feel better about it!"

He flashed her a grin, and she couldn't help but smile. She was glad that Natsu understood her need to stay awake. Of course he would though. Of all people, Natsu would understand. She felt stupid for not telling anyone earlier, but she was glad she had come clean to him. She wasn't sure she wanted Natsu to stay here with her – he was obviously already exhausted – but knowing him, he wouldn't take no for an answer.

She gave him a soft smile as she clung to his muffler. "Thanks, Natsu…." She saw a small blush race across his face, and she let out a slight giggle. "You know Natsu, if you keep holding me this way, I'm going to fall asleep in your arms~" She tended to get a tiny bit flirtatious when she got too tired. As he clumsily put her down and shot onto his feet, she threw her head back and laughed. "So what are we gunna do until sunrise?"

The fire mage brushed the pink tint from his cheeks as he pondered their situation. He then put on a grin and grabbed her hand.

"First we need to get you some fuel!" Natsu exclaimed. "Luckily, the shopping district is nearby."

She smiled and made an attempt to stand up, but failed miserably as she stumbled and he was forced to hold her steady for a moment.

"Can you stand alright?"

She gave him a half-hearted response and clutched his hand to keep her upright. She couldn't do it any differently; otherwise people might think he was carrying around a corpse.

"We're gunna stock up on junk food! That'll keep us awake!" Natsu giggled. "The sugar is more for you, but I might need it later on!"

As the slayer led her down to the convenient mart, she felt a sense of relief wash over her. Natsu was going to take good care of her through all of this. She had never seen him this way…. so attentive and calm… then again she had never been in this condition before. She wanted to tell him not to worry, but he would never buy into it. Plus, she kind of liked this side of Natsu. He was kind and gentle, speaking softly to her. She knew she was the only thing on his mind, but all the while he maintained a happy smile and his regular up-beat attitude. Is this what it's like to have Natsu's full attention? To have Natsu take care of you? It made her heart flutter.

She must be going delirious, thinking of Natsu this way. She was too tired to try and think any differently though.

As he opened the door and led her into the small store, she felt everything go white. The lights were blinding! She felt his hand slowly slip out of hers as he ventured into the white plains of the shining room. Slowly, she began seeing small shapes through the light.

There was a tower, swaying from side to side… or was it dancing? She reached out to touch it, miscalculating how close it was. She stumbled forward and felt it roll. Plastic? She heard the sound of crunching, as if she had smashed the wall of this strange object. She heard the wall crumble as something landed on her foot. She leaned forward to pick it up, falling on her backside as a result. It was small and square. She brought it closer to her face as she saw letters. L-A-Y-S P-O-T-A-T-O C-H-I-P-S….. What? It felt like it was full of air. She felt Natsu's hand lift her up again and lead her away from the strange object. She heard him picking up bags and repairing the wall, apologizing to some man. Was he the king of this tower?

Slowly more and more things were becoming visible. Natsu opened up some sort of door that released a cold wind. "N-Narnia?" She allowed her hand to venture toward the frigid air, running into some sort of magical barrier. It must have been frozen from the air. She pressed her forehead against it for a moment, trying to see inside. No luck. It was covered in a white frost. She stumbled back to Natsu's side, wishing he would lead her somewhere warmer. This frozen castle with dancing towers was a strange place indeed. She looked up at him and smiled for a moment. None of this made sense, but Natsu seemed to know what he was doing.

She heard him consult the king before leading her back home. As she walked with him down the street, she began regaining her senses. She was beginning to feel more awake after that strange event. In his hand, Natsu held a shopping bag… she felt the need to smack herself as she realized she had just turned a shopping trip into a medieval adventure in her delusional state. That shop keeper must have thought she was on something strong. She made a mental note to not go back there at this time of day for a few weeks lest she run into him again.

This was going to be a long night of delusions and junk food… that was for sure.

* * *

Next chapter things are about to get a little heated...


	9. Chapter 9

As Natsu sat Lucy down at the kitchen table of her apartment, he poured his groceries in front of her. A mountain of chocolate bars, sodas, energy drinks, and sugary candy began forming before them. The pinkette shoved a can of pop in her face with a wild look in his eyes. Oh yes, he was enjoying this. As Lucy popped open the can and gulped it down, he did the same. She had a nervous look in her eyes, no doubt frightened by the thought of him being hyped up on energy drinks. He smirked... she was right to be scared.

He glanced at the clock… 6:28 pm. If this stuff could get them through the night, they would be able to sleep at sunrise. As he popped a couple of candies in his mouth, his teammate turned and flashed him a cheeky grin.

"Well, what should we do first, Natsu? I've never really had a sleepover before -well, not on purpose… you guys usually just sneak in uninvited- we could play a game of cards... or maybe set up a board game... or..."

He was half-listening as she listed off some ideas when he spotted a bottle of soda. Natsu swiped it off the table as nonchalantly as he could, shaking it up while Lucy was yawning and put on his most innocent smile.

"Yeah all of that sounds great, Lucy... but you should get more sugar in your body if you're gonna stay awake for all of that!" He held out the bottle, putting on his best poker face as she skeptically took it from his hands.

As soon as she twisted off the cap, the liquid came bubbling up in a rush. Lucy yelped, jumping up and holding the fizzing drink away from her.

"Natsu!" She cried.

The boy laughed, completely enthralled with his own genius prank. He looked up at Lucy, who had armed herself with another soda bottle and was shaking it energetically. Her shirt was soaked through and clinging to her chest, beads of liquid running down her skin, making it glisten, and her breasts bounced vigorously as she pumped the bottle…

It might have been the angle he was at, or maybe that determined look on her face, but Natsu couldn't argue the fact that Lucy looked sexy as hell.

Before Natsu's mind could wander to even more perverted matters, Lucy twisted the top off the soda bottle, aiming it to spray directly at Natsu.

"Ack! Lucy, is that diet?! I thought you were more civilized than this!" He mocked her, running his hand through his hair and making a mad dash away from Lucy and her soda cannon. She laughed at his dumb humor, chasing him around the dining room table.

Lucy sighed as her bottle ran empty, bringing Natsu's attention back to her.

"Ah, I'm all wet... And we're out of soda pop." She said with a smile. "I'm going to change into something more comfortable… You stay here~." With that she left, turning on her heel and walking off to her bedroom. Natsu duly noted how her hips swayed more than usual and how her voice sounded different... Not a bad different, just... different. Natsu blushed red, taking a swig of an energy drink.

_Was she trying to be flirty?_

Natsu gulped, almost choking on his drink. Since when did she have such an effect on him…? He stripped off his waistcoat and scarf, deciding that he really needed to cool down. That, and he was dripping with high fructose corn syrup.

"Natsu~" Lucy chimed as she exited her room. The boy turned to see Lucy in her pajamas: a fresh tank top and shorts, both articles of clothing leaving little to the imagination. Natsu didn't bat an eyelash at her choice of clothing however, due to the fact that she so often wore outfits like this. That's not to say he didn't like those outfits on her…

"Hey, what were we going to do before? We got kind of sidetracked by that soda fight." She said, sitting back down at the table with Natsu. If she noticed that he was half naked, she didn't show it.

"Oh yeah, we were gonna play some games..." He remembered, furrowing his brow a bit. "... But we need a castle first! We aren't doing anything 'till we have a fun place to play!"

His cheeks tinted at the thought of 'playing' with Lucy, but he shoved those thoughts away quickly before he lost Lucy's attention. She would fall asleep if he wasn't careful.

"We're gonna build a pillow fort!" He grinned.

She looked a little surprised at the proposition at first, but then smiled broadly as she called out Aries. The Ram spirit was, in her good nature, worried by the tired appearance of her owner. Lucy waved away all of her spirit's worries and asked her to make the two of them a bunch of pillows and blankets. Aries was happy to oblige, and Natsu and Lucy spent the next ten minutes wallowing in the wooly goodness.

Soon after, the pair went to work making the pillow fort. It jutted out from the side of Lucy's bed and took up most of the space in her room. They giggled as they hastily lined the bottom with soft pillows and draped numerous blankets over the top.

As they placed the last pillow on the ground, the two collapsed on the floor, breathless from making the fort, but by no means sleepy. They laughed at each other out of pure, drunken exhaustion.

"What should we -pant- do now?"Natsu asked, trying to catch his breath.

Lucy sat upright, a playful smirk on her face. "Well, now that we have our castle, Kiiiiiiinnnngggg Natsu~" He scoffed at his new title. She was so weird. "… We need to make sure we know how to defend it! And the best way to make battle strategies is to play chess, right?"

Natsu Looked at her with determined eyes.

"Yeah, yeah! We gotta protect the kingdom! Teach me how to play, oh mighty Queen!"

As she pulled out a wooden chess board from beneath her bed, she dove into her attempt to teach Natsu to play chess.

"No, no, no! Natsu, the knight can only go forward two spaces and to the side once!" Lucy cried out a few minutes into the game.

"Which one is the knight? I thought this was a horse!"

"The horse is the knight, Natsu!"

"How can the horse be the knight, it's a horse!"

"Natsu, focus!"

In a frustrated outburst, Natsu flung the chess board across the room, the pieces flying in every direction.

"Fuck this shit, the king is hungry!" The slayer roared as he scurried out of the fort and to Mt. Junk Food. Her attempt at teaching him chess was valiant, but Natsu was too hyper to keep still. Lucy laughed as she followed close behind him, hoisting herself up to sit on the table as he searched for a new sugar fix.

"Ah wait! I want that one!" She cried as he pulled out the last of the chocolate-covered energy bars.

"No way, this one's mine!" He teased as he tore the wrapping, watching Lucy pout.

As he began to bring the treat to his lips, he felt a soft hand wrap around his wrist and pull his arm forward. His mouth could only hang open as he watched his flirty friend take the first bite of his pick-me-up, his hand still wrapped around its base.

She lifted her head with a wink, a devious grin on her lips.

"Told you it was mine~"

"L-Lucy..." He stuttered, completely at a loss for what to do.

She giggled, smashing the bar back in his face and grabbing a soda for herself.

_I can't take much more of this... Lucy isn't acting like herself. Is she just tired or..._

As his thoughts drifted, he let out a yawn unexpectedly.

"Eh?! You can't fall asleep Natsu!" She said, scooting closer to him. He blushed at her sudden interest in him, only to see Lucy bounce to her feet.

"I have a great idea!" She exclaimed happily, scampering off to her dresser. Natsu curiously trailed behind, again hyper-aware of the way her hips were swaying. It almost seemed like she was trying to mess with his stability...

"There's this aromatherapy stuff I have…" She mumbled, fumbling through containers and lotions until finally discovering the little bottle. "Ah! Here it is! Why haven't I used this yet..."

Natsu peeked over her shoulder to see it. There was a bold disclaimer on the side that caught Natsu's eye.

Warning: Strong aphrodisiac, use with caution.

"What's an aphrodisiac?" Natsu asked. Where had he heard that word before? Before thinking about it anymore, he was distracted by Lucy rubbing the clear, oil-like stuff on the underside of her forearms and wrists.

"Hmm? I don't know. The man who sold it to me said it's supposed to give you energy or something like that. Here, smell it." She told him, letting Natsu take her wrist and bring it up to his nose. The scent hit him like a slap in the face, sending his senses into overdrive and making him noticeably more alert.

"H-Hey, that stuff works! I want some!" Natsu said eagerly. Lucy stepped forward, rubbing some off the goo on his forearm. He giggled. The goop got warmer as Lucy massaged it in his skin, and Natsu distinctly felt a tingling sensation that was spreading throughout his body.

"Whoa…"

Natsu stared into Lucy's eyes. She didn't look as sleepy now, but she was making some kind of face that Natsu couldn't decipher. What was she thinking? Natsu could feel his thoughts clouding, but his senses were still maxed out.

"Lucy, what're you…" Natsu mumbled, not being able to speak as she slapped her small hands on his chest, slowly layering the soothing oil on his tanned skin. For some reason, he didn't feel the need to push her away.

_Lucy's hands feel nice…_

He looked down at the girl in front of him. She was absently tracing the lines on his stomach, hesitating for a moment every time she encountered one of his numerous scars. She didn't say anything about them, and Natsu wasn't really sure why. It's not like he felt bad about his scars…

_That's right._ He thought,_ I got most of these trying to protect Lucy._

Natsu never regretted looking out for Lucy. But all those little scars… They were a constant reminder of how many times he had slipped up. He wasn't being careful enough, and that put Lucy in danger…

The boy tensed as Lucy's hand went lower, curving around his hip and planting itself firmly on one of his newer scars. He got that one from his fight with Future Rogue. Natsu's jaw clenched remembering that event. He failed to protect Lucy that day, and Natsu never quite forgave himself. It left a bitter taste in his mouth...

Slowly, tentatively, Natsu wrapped his arms around Lucy. His desire to protect her was shining yet again through his actions, but this time... this time he just wanted to hold her there. He was feeling a bit bolder than usual.

She looked up at him, resting her head on his chest. Those sleepy eyes of hers were still able to see right through him. He gave a small smile.

_Well, at least she's safe now… Here with me…_

Natsu knew he was staring, but he couldn't find the will to look away from her.

_Lucy really is amazing, huh? No, that's not the right word. I mean, she is kind and brave... she's loud and energetic, but that's not enough. Lucy is… Lucy. I've never met anyone like her. To be Lucy..._

Natsu frowned slightly, pulling her closer to him on instinct.

_Lucy is my nakama, and my best friend, and my partner. But I feel like she's…more? That can't be right. What's more than that? What is my relationship with Lucy? How do I describe how much she means to me?_

Natsu felt his throat constrict.

_How… How much do I mean to her?_

The boys stomach dropped at the very thought that his feelings for Lucy- whatever they were- were stronger than what she felt for him. Natsu could only hope that this wasn't the case.

Lucy started to lean heavily on him before he could finish his thought. A fleeting thought of how good Lucy smelled crossed his mind before Natsu realized what was happening.

A jolt of pain shook Natsu without warning, like knives coming at him from all directions. His muscles tensed as he looked down at a half-asleep Lucy.

"L-Lucy... Lucy c'mon you gotta stay awake." He ground out, still reeling from the sharp pain. Lucy shot up immediately, now wide awake and panicked.

"Wh-What did I-" She stammered, searching Natsu expression for an answer. Tears sprang quickly into her eyes as the girl stumbled backwards.

"I-I'm so sorry! I didn't... I didn't mean to! D-Does it hurt?" She asked, her voice reaching high pitches. Natsu shook his head vigorously.

"D-Don't cry Lucy! It doesn't even hurt, but you've got to stay awake now." He told her seriously, grabbing her shoulders and not breaking eye contact. The pain was dulling now, and definitely still there, but he wouldn't tell Lucy that. She was trying so hard after all…

"Yeah, we're gonna keep you awake!" He declared, grabbing Lucy's wrist and pulling her to his side. She wobbled slightly despite being wide awake now, and Natsu steadied her by putting his hand on the small of her back. Even if she was awake, her body was still giving out on her.

"C'mon Lucy! We're charging into battle!" He cried gleefully, taking off to run around her apartment with her in tow, waving his arms and shouting at the top of his lungs. She joined in willingly, trying to meet his level of enthusiasm. As they rowdily paraded through the house, the room filled with the scent of the oil they had smothered themselves in. Natsu rolled on the floor, bumping into the bed and jostling the fort, causing parts of it to collapse. He stared at it in wide-eyed horror.

"Lucy! Our fort! We gotta fix it!" He spouted, flabbergasted by this horrible turn of events. They dove into the fort, cushy blankets and pillows making it a very comfortable palace indeed.

The two sleepy teens stood on their knees, back to back, Natsu fixing one side and Lucy fixing the other. The tight space only amplified the scent, making Natsu's head feel hazy.

"Here, just let me…" he heard Lucy say, turning around to fix his side, and ultimately smashing her breasts against his back. Natsu froze- her whole front was pressed on him. He turned quickly on his knee to tell her he didn't need help.

That didn't go well.

While he was turning, Natsu slipped and fell forward, grabbing onto Lucy as support. They both toppled over, the entirety of the fort falling on them.

In a spurt of energy, the two flailed their arms and legs to move away, but only further entangled themselves in the sheets and blankets.

The air in the fort was hot and heavy as the two breathed each other's air, the scent of the oil filling their noses. Natsu lay flush against Lucy with her leg between his thighs.

He stared at her, unable to do anything under that sleepy, lustful gaze…

"Hey…" She said after a moment.

"Hey…" He responded.

Their faces were very close together, Natsu noted, although she did nothing to try and further them. In fact, she did quite the opposite.

She wound her arms gently around Natsu's neck, as if she wasn't quite sure how he'd react, and threaded her fingers through his hair. Natsu's physical closeness abruptly reminded him of Lucy's intoxicating scent. He could feel her, hear her, smell her. She wouldn't leave his mind. Lucy had pervaded his thoughts just as much as his nose. Every bit of him was washed away with Lucy to a point where avoiding her was an acute impossibility. It was overwhelming Natsu.

She was pulling his head towards her. He couldn't think, only react.

Natsu lazily brought his lips to her forehead, reveling in her presence. He wasn't sure what was propelling him forward like this, but he knew it was something. Maybe hormones, maybe the scent, or maybe Lucy. Perhaps all were to blame.

"Lucy…"

Natsu's lips moved south and kissed her cheek, taking a moment to snuggle closer to her. If she tasted as good as she smelled, Natsu would be on another level of elation.

"N-Natsu…" She whispered. The boy furrowed his brow and decided on some semi-conscious level that he was going to try something that he most certainly wouldn't under normal conditions.

His lips moved swiftly to plant themselves just on the side of her mouth. She stared up at him with wide, wondering eyes, a blush spreading quickly across her face. He felt that his expression was probably similar.

Natsu was unnerved for a moment that Lucy might refuse him until she gingerly cupped the side of his head with her hand. Her eyes went soft, and Natsu couldn't help himself from gravitating closer and closer to her…

Her lips were pursed slightly. Natsu could feel his blood pumping in his ears. He was close to them… So close… Just a hairs-breadth away, a few slight centimeters of space is all it took…

The fort was inflated for an instant in a surge of wind and magical energy.

Lucy's spell was over.

Limbs flailed as cries of horror filled the room. Lucy grabbed a loose blanket and covered her body even though she was still wearing her clothes. She pointed at him with a shaky and accusing finger, backing up until her back hit the bed.

"Y-Y-You-You … you tr-tried to… to… to…" She started.

"N-no no I didn't! W-we…we…. What were you doing?!" Natsu spouted out as he shot backwards.

"What was I doing?! What…. What was I doing…? What were we doing?!" She wailed, wrapping her blanket protectively around her.

_We were gonna… Shit, what was I thinking…?_

They sat in silence for a minute, unsure of what to do. It was Natsu who spoke first.

"I… I think I'm gunna head home…" he said with a nervous tone, still reeling from the events that had occurred. She nodded vigorously, but as he tried to stand, he tripped on mounds of blankets, landing face first in a pillow. He lay completely still on the ground, exhausted, confused, and not bothering to move. With a groan, Natsu absent-mindedly wrapped himself up in a blanket as Lucy settled in for a well-deserved slumber besides him. Natsu yawned, turning over on his side to face her.

"Night, Lucy."

He thought he caught a hint of a smile gracing her lips before she buried her face in a pillow.

"Goodnight, Natsu."


	10. Chapter 10

His body fell into the lake with a splash. Lucy froze for a moment, unsure of what to do. The rain was cleansing her fresh wounds, tinting the drops red as they fell onto the dock. The lake itself was pooling with blood as well… she watched as it spread…

_CRASH!_

The thunder echoed through the blonde's ears, kicking her into motion. She jumped into the water, swimming to the very bottom and snatching her keys from the muddy floor. She could see his body sinking further out. She swam to the shore and took off on foot.

Lucy had no idea where she was going, but she knew where she had been. She had gone up the mountain to see the icicles surrounding the waterfall near the peak. It hadn't happened in over 10 years, and when she had heard that the winter weather had created such a wonderful sight, she had decided to come up here alone and take in its beauty. After all, if she had decided to bring a fellow guild member, they would probably have destroyed the surroundings in one way or another.

That was a horrible mistake.

A rainstorm had trapped the celestial mage on the mountain without anyone's knowledge, so she had decided to leave the river before it flooded over. As she reached a lake that the river connected to, her bad luck had taken a turn for the worst.

Lucy snapped out of her trance when she tripped on a tree root. She couldn't see through the storm as water beat heavily on her wounded body. She wasn't sure if it was the rain or her own tears that were running down her cheek… probably both. She just kept running… running until she could find somewhere safe… anywhere safe…

That's when she saw a beat up old shack overlooking the city.

She started sobbing. It was a beacon of light in this dark hell. Lucy didn't need to see the sign to know what it said… "Natsu and Happy." Of course, it was Natsu that was going to find her. She stumbled through the rain, the taste of blood on her tongue.

_What if he isn't here!?_

The dreadful thought crossed her mind, and she felt a deeper sense of panic set in.

_What if he's gone, and I'm left alone out here all night?_

She knew she couldn't make it any farther down the mountain. Dear Mavis, if she couldn't get in the house, she would have to stay here and wait for him to find her. Forget her pain, if Natsu found her in such a state, it would break him. She knew her partner, and something like that…. it would haunt him for the rest of his life.

As she approached the wooden door, she twisted the knob to find it was unlocked. She felt the strength leave her legs as she let out a slight chuckle in relief.

She could get inside.

The door flew open with a bang, slamming against the wall as the cold air and wet rain burst into the room. She heard footsteps pounding on the floor as her pink haired friend rounded the corner, his fists ablaze and his eyes fierce. He was probably expecting an intruder due to the late hour, but his expression crumbled when lightning crashed behind her, illuminating her silhouette as she slumped to the floor.

"L-Lucy!"

He ran to her aid, lifting her limp body out of the threshold and closing the door.

"W-What happened?"

She couldn't find the words to respond.

He was shaking, scared out of his mind by her state. She had no doubt she had wounds and cuts running all over her body like a hideous tattoo, her blood staining both of their clothes at this point.

"W-water, right? We need to soak your wounds!"

He held her close to his chest, racing to the bathroom. He sat on the edge of the tub, cradling her body in one arm and using his other to heat up the icy water flowing from the frozen pipes. She sat there and soaked up his heat. She had never been happier that he was a fire mage.

"Okay… okay its warm enough now…" he stated as calmly as he could as he slipped her into the tub. She whimpered weakly as the water stung her open wounds. It started turning pink, her blood seeping out of her clothes and into the still water. Natsu sat in silence as he watched her slowly go numb, unsure of what to do next.

Just as she was starting to feel more relaxed, she began shaking again, her upper body painfully cold in comparison to her lower body which was soaking in the warm water. She couldn't sink any deeper, though… she would drop all the way to the bottom. What she would have given to be in a nice pair of pajamas on a soft bed with a heating pad right about now…

Natsu must have recognized her discomfort as he grabbed a towel from the hanger, slowly lifting her up and wrapping the towel around her.

"It's… It's okay, Lucy… I'll get you warm, I promise!" He proceeded to take her into the living room, sitting her in front of the hearth as he set the logs ablaze with a flick of his finger. He sat there with her for a moment before placing her on the floor and standing upright.

"Lucy… stay here okay? I'll be right back!"

With that, he left her in front of the fire to soak up its warmth. A few seconds passed, and she was shaking vigorously. She was so cold, she couldn't even control herself! Without thinking, she began stripping in an effort to get out of the wet clothes clinging to her. She had no idea what she was going to put on afterwards, but she didn't care. She needed these rags off!

That's when she got stuck. She was able to shimmy off her shorts to her kneecaps, her panties visible to the world, but her shirt got stuck over her head with her arms in a painful position.

_Shit._

"N-Natsu… H-help…" She called out to him, her body almost at its breaking point as she reached the peak of her pain threshold. She didn't have a very high pain tolerance, as her magic didn't require it.

She heard him run into the room, and she could only imagine the look on his face. She was practically naked, for Mavis's sake! She would be more embarrassed about the situation, but she was in too much pain to care about her pride.

"Wh-What're you-"

"I need them… off…" She interrupted in a small, embarrassed voice. He knelt beside her, hesitant to touch her bare skin. He made a move to sit behind her, trying to save her at least some dignity, bless him.

"Are you sure you want me to, um…" The boy stuttered, his face no doubt blood red. She simply nodded. He gulped audibly, carefully lifting the material over her head and letting her ample breasts spring free. It was then that she realized she hadn't worn a bra… this was only getting worse. As her arms fell to her side, she saw that Natsu had found an old pair of her pajamas. They were long and flannel, a light shade of pink. As he slipped her arms through the button up top, she let out a shaky breath. It was so soft… she felt like she was in heaven…

…That was until she realized she still hadn't undressed her bottom half.

His face was blood red as he spoke. "Should… D-Do I… take off your pa-"

"N-No!" the girl squealed. There was a line that she wouldn't cross no matter how much pain she was in. He was not going to take her panties off! "J-Just… just make sure I don't tip over, okay?"

He nodded, slipping his arms around her waist. She could feel him tense up as she shimmied out of her lacy black panties, making her regret her decision to undress at all. After a few squirms, she was naked from the waist down.

"U-umm… N-Natsu…" she said tentatively.

The boy opened his eyes, blinking dumbly at the sight of her using her shirt to cover her bottom half.

"H-hand me those…" she said, pointing to the pj bottoms.

He obliged, trying not to look at her.

_This is so embarrassing… I don't even have any underwear… This was a huge mistake._

She had a change of heart once she got the pajama bottoms on. They were so soft and warm…

He rose to his feet, the air in the room hot and heavy.

"I'm gonna… go get some bandages…" he said slowly, setting the land speed record for the fastest exit of a room. She let out a shaky sigh. She scooted across the floor until she was sitting beside the couch. Leaning back, she closed her eyes and soaked in the warmth of the fire.

Natsu slipped beside her and touched her hand, setting the bandages on the end table. They sat there for a moment in silence as the fire roared. She was so glad he had been home…

She was trying to relax, but the hard wooden floor wasn't helping. She kept her eyes on the fire as she spoke, her voice heavy with sadness. "Natsu… I'm sore…"

Before she had a chance to try and push herself off of the ground, Natsu lifted her up and placed her on the couch. She could see his eyes darting all over the room, trying to find something to make her more comfortable.

As he searched for something soft, she fumbled with her keys and was able to summon Aries with what little magic she had left. She saw the spirit's eyes widen when she saw her master, obviously unaware that anything had happened. It made sense though, as the spirits were only called upon when she was in a fatal condition or her magic was at zero.

"L-Lucy-sama… I'm sorry, but I'll make you some wool to rest on!"

With that, the ram spirit covered the couch in fluffy wool, apologizing profusely before saying goodbye.

"Hey… Aries, don't tell the other spirits about this, okay? They don't need to worry about me… Natsu will take care of me."

She nodded and disappeared into the Celestial Spirit World.

When the ram spirit left, she felt Natsu place a large blanket on top of her before grabbing her hand and kneeling beside her, at a loss for what to do. She let out a shaky breath before pulling him closer to her. She wanted to hold him close, to let him know that she was going to be okay.

He gingerly moved behind her, lying with his chest against her back and his arms wrapped around her midsection. She felt like freaking out, wondering what on Earthland was going through his head, but before she had the chance, he started releasing slow pulses of heat from his body in an effort to keep her warm.

She closed her eyes, letting her hands travel down to encase his. Warm pajamas, a soft bed, and a heating pad….. She felt tears stream down her face.

"A-am I hurting you?!" the boy exclaimed, his voice breaking with worry. Why did he have to be so sweet to her in times like this?

"No…. this is just…. exactly what I needed."

With that she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, her body and mind exhausted from what had happened on the dock.


	11. Chapter 11

There was nothing that could've prepared Natsu for the horror he had witnessed that evening. He'd seen people on the brink of death, his own friends even, and in hopeless situations, but this… This was Lucy. Natsu's inherent need to protect her couldn't do anything for her now. It was agony, surely, to see her like this. Long, shallow, and deliberately made cuts covered her body. She was pale, and at first wouldn't respond to him. As she warmed up, life started to come back to the girl, but it didn't lessen Natsu's anxiety. He was still shaking, admittedly, and he knew he wasn't going to sleep that night.

Lucy however, fell asleep faster than Natsu would've thought. Well, this had been an exhausting day for her, or at least he assumed. Natsu had no clue what happened to her, but it sickened him to think about the vile being responsible for hurting Lucy.

He sighed heavily with worry for his friend, somewhat happy with himself for leaving the door open today, but mostly upset that he didn't prevent this. He was always so protective of her, especially recently since she had been acting strangely... And that night at her house in the pillow fort had never left his mind. He had stubbornly been pushing those thoughts back, trying to convince himself that he should forget that heated night. But thoughts about Lucy were strangely persistent, it seemed. He was holding her close again tonight, but the knots in his stomach tonight were those of fear, not... Whatever he had felt that night.

Natsu snuggled closer to his sleeping companion, trying to settle his mind and reassure himself that she was there, and she was safe now.

"Natsu! I got stuck in the rai-"

Natsu looked up to see Happy bursting through the door, his wet fur leaving water droplets everywhere as he flew around. He stopped mid-sentence upon seeing Natsu curled up on couch with Lucy.

"Eeh?! What are you doing to Lucy?!" Happy hollered, swooping over to the couch.

"H-Happy?!"Natsu stuttered, worried that his companion's loud voice would wake up Lucy. And, this situation was quite embarrassing…

"Lucy what did he do to y-"

"…Lucy…?"

Happy stopped, fully recognizing the cuts and bruises on his friend. He looked to Natsu, big tears welling up in his eyes.

"Natsu…" The boy and the cat locked eyes, a silent agreement passing between the two of them not to talk about Lucy's condition, for now anyways. Natsu thought he could go back to sleep until Happy shouted,

"Are those Lucy's panties?!" Natsu went red in the face. "Natsu, did you do that with Lucy?!"

"I-It's not what it looks like! I just stripped her!" Natsu defended, promptly turning scarlet upon realizing just how bad that defense was.

"Uwaaaaah! Natsu is a pervert!" Happy screeched, flying around the ceiling with Natsu frantically flagging the catto calm down.

"Happy, shush! You're gonna wake up Lucy!"

"N..N..N..No… Nooooo…" Lucy mumbled in her sleep. Natsu and Happy froze, the first giving the other a death glare.

"No… no, no stop! Stop! Please stop!" Her mumbling turned into frantic screams of terror. She started to thrash wildly, making Natsu pin her arms to her sides in an effort to make her stay still.

"Lucy! Lucy, what's wrong?! Wake up!"

She was obviously stuck in her nightmare, unaware of where she was. Her eyes were hazy and dull, tears streaming down her face. As she began focusing on him, she realized where she was.

"N-Natsu!" She flung herself against him, sobbing violently into his chest. Her hands were clenched into fists, tightly squeezing his shirt.

Nastu froze, unsure of what to do.

"H-H-He-He wanted my-my k-keys! I-I co-couldn't s-see him… He… He… He just… I-It was dark…. I-I didn't.. I didn't…"

Natsu recognized her gasps had turned into hyperventilating, and held onto her tightly. "L-Lucy... Lucy slow down..."

Her breathing started to slow down as her words became more coherent. "H-He..He had a knife… and I.. I didn't mean to…. He just… he-he fell in the water…. I didn't-I…"

She whimpered his name and clung to him, sobbing loudly between words and sharp intakes of air. Natsu himself wasn't doing much better. He looked to Happy in desperation, trying to figure out how to deal with this crying girl. The cat was blubbering and crying, only knowing as much as Natsu did about all this.

Wait… He wanted her keys… And with a knife…

The pieces of the puzzle came rushing quickly to Natsu. He tensed and began shaking again. He was enraged, but more than that, he was scared. He was scared for her. Happy jumped on Natsu, wailing questions.

"Natsu! Wh-What's wrong with Lucy?!" He cried. Natsu looked at the girl and then patted Happy's head.

"She got jumped." Natsu spoke in a low voice, hoping Lucy wouldn't hear, but it was hard to hear anything with all the noises she was making. The news only made Happy scream and rush to Lucy, clinging to her waist.

"Lucy! Lucy I'm so sorry you're hurt!" He howled into her shirt. Lucy didn't say anything- she could hardly breathe- but she took Happy under one of her arms to show she was still coherent.

Natsu choked out a sob; the boy wasn't able to watch his friends like this. He didn't notice the tears running down his face; his mind was only on Lucy.

Natsu took her head against his chest as he buried his head on her shoulder. They were both wracked with sobs, clinging to each other like if they didn't, something horrible might happen again.

"Lucy- Lucy please-" Natsu whispered in her ear in between heavy gasps for air.

"Please don't cry." He placed a soft, but needy kiss in her hair. Again, and again.

"I'll keep you safe- I promise I- I'm so sorry Lucy I'm sorry-" He didn't know what he was saying anymore; his sentences kept breaking down into pathetic sobs while he clutched her close to him. Anything to get Lucy to smile again and make her well.

Natsu would go to great lengths to keep her safe. And if he got hurt in the process, it was worth it. Sometimes Natsu had to step back and remind himself how affixed he was to Lucy, but it had never occurred to him to wonder why it was he had such an attachment to her. It didn't matter, really, because he didn't want to change that. He would never tell anyone, but Natsu held a certain pride in his heart that Lucy chose to be with him over everyone in the guild. It was nice feeling needed.

The girl calmed down after a moment, small hiccups exiting her instead of sobs. The smell of tears was heavy in the air, and Natsu could've sworn he still heard the echoes of her weeping.

She still clung to him, his shirt now drenched in salty tears. Natsu had no idea what to do, so he grabbed her shoulders without thinking, forcing her to look him in the eye.

"Lucy, Lucy please don't be sad. If you have another nightmare, me and Happy will be here for ya." He glanced at Happy, who gave him a thumbs up in agreement. Natsu looked back to Lucy and smiled.

"You need to rest now though. You've been really brave today." He told her, taking her in for a final hug before lying down to sleep. She let out a shaky sigh before laying down beside him, curling against his chest as Happy crawled into her arms.

As she fell asleep again; Natsu remained wide awake.

She could've been killed. Someone, some stranger would find her body floating in the lake. Or worse, her body wouldn't be found and me, and the guild, would be left to frantically search for her. Only to find that she had been killed by some thief.

Natsu squeezed Lucy tighter to him, reassuring himself once again that yes, Lucy was with him now, and she was going to be okay. She would be okay.

* * *

What so you guys think? Continue?


	12. Chapter 12

Ah, I forgot to post this. It completely slipped my mind, sorry! Oh yes, and thank you for the reviews, they were very helpful!

* * *

Lucy's eyes fluttered open as the sun was rising. She looked around the room as she felt crisp air hit her face.

_Natsu's house…._

She turned her head to see the slayer pressed against her back, his hands still wrapped around her waist.

_Funny…_ The girl thought to herself as she studied his face. _When he falls asleep in the guild, he is such a messy sleeper, sprawled out everywhere and snoring… But he doesn't seem to have moved an inch… Is it because he is sleeping beside me?_

Lucy's cheeks turned red at the realization that she was sleeping with Natsu… not in _that _way… but still. They had slept next to each other last night… And it felt oddly right.

_No! No, Lucy, don't think about that! This is Natsu… Natsu is… He's just a friend…_

She frowned as she thought back on all of the strange emotions she had felt towards him recently: the butterflies in her stomach that had formed on their pretend date, the way her heart fluttered when he spoke in that low, husky tone after the kiss atop the Ferris wheel, the sense of security she had found as she ran her hands over his scars a few nights before… The scars he had gotten protecting her… And when he had kissed her face so lovingly…

After she had pushed him off of her, she couldn't help but regret the fact that he hadn't touched her lips. Lucy had been trying to convince herself that she was just too sleepy to consider what kind of relationship they had… But now she was wide awake, and she was still wishing he had ventured onto that untouched region of her face… She couldn't lie to herself about that. And last night, as he wrapped her up in his arms and kissed her hair… It was like he was able to take her away from where she was… from what had happened…

She was doing a really bad job of defending herself.

Well, in the end, it didn't matter what she felt… She could never be with Natsu… Not with this secret.

Lucy tucked all of those confusing and conflicting thoughts away as she unwrapped herself from Natsu's embrace, gently lying Happy flat on the couch as she tip-toed across the floor to sit in front of the fire. She felt guilty lying next to him like that, and that guilt wasn't arbitrary. No, she knew exactly why she was in the wrong. It pained Lucy to the point of tears, wondering if she would ever be held by Natsu like that ever again if she told him her grievous secret. She told herself that it wasn't likely.

Lucy's eyes traveled to the window, the glass covered in frost. Last night's rain had turned into quite the blizzard.

_Looks like I'll be trapped up here for a while…_

A small smile danced across the blonde's lips at the thought of being trapped up here with Natsu… It was much more appealing than being pent up in her apartment all by herself.

_…But do I even have the right to be here like this?_

Lucy frowned as she questioned whether or not it was the right decision to keep the secret to herself. She had kept quiet about it for this long, but it was only getting harder to hold her tongue. What if she slipped up? He would probably hate her more if he found out on his own. So, was she really protecting Natsu by not telling him the truth? Or was she simply building lies until the truth came crashing down on both her and Natsu?

She was reaching her breaking point.

Lucy's attention returned to the fireplace where last night's fire had died down to hot ash. She began to poke it with the pole on the hearth, but to no avail. She sighed as she scooted closer to the cooling embers. Before she could get settled, she felt a blanket being draped across her shoulders as Natsu leaned down beside her and put another log on the fire. He lit it with his breath before letting his eyes travel down her body.

"You okay?" His voice lifted with concern. She let out a sheepish smile as she nodded and buried herself into the blanket. "I'm going to go get those bandages again. I'll be right back."

She watched as he traveled out of the room before facing the flames again. She squeezed the blanket tighter to herself, taking in Natsu's scent and sending her spiraling emotions some place far off. Happy flew over and sat beside her as she began dozing off again…..

_He grabbed her wrists and violently threw her onto the dock. After aggressively wrestling her keys out of her hand and throwing them into the lake, he dug his elbow into her chest in an attempt to pin her down. He pulled a knife out of his jacket, straddling her and running the blade shallowly across her skin. She struggled and fought him, but he had her arms pinned down with the weight of his knees. He was whispering something; it was muffled and filled with a psychotic icy tone that would freeze lava. He got closer and closer, the only thing visible about him his twisted smile._

… Her eyes flew open as she snapped out of her flashback. She flung herself out of the blanket and scooted frantically across the floor until her back hit the couch. She gasped, but before she had the chance to scream, Happy threw himself onto her torso. "L-Lucy it's okay! It's okay! Natsu come back!"

As she wrapped her arms around Happy, her body shaking as she tried to regain control of her senses, she heard Natsu barrel into the room and fall to his knees besides her. He pulled her into his lap and tucked her head beneath his chin.

"Dammit Lucy… How am I supposed to protect you from yourself…?"

The question wasn't meant for her, it was more a question for himself, but she couldn't help but wonder…

…How long was she going to be like this?

The man's silhouette slowly disappeared from her mind as Natsu ran his hand through her hair, gently rocking back and forth in an effort to feel more useful. She let the tears flow freely… She didn't care if this was embarrassing. She didn't care if this was intimate. All she cared about was that Natsu was here with her, that she was safe with him. She leaned fully on him before letting out her fears in a sigh.

As she quieted down, Natsu stopped rocking her and tried to look her in the eye. "…All better?" She gave a weak nod, keeping her head down in order to hide the trail of tears that stained her cheeks. After he gave her a tight squeeze, the boy took her hand and stood her up.

"Here, we'll go get the bandages together this time, okay?"

She smiled and followed closely behind him.

She sat at the kitchen table, watching as the pinkette fumbled with the first aid kit. She focused all her attention on his movements, trying to fight off images in her head. She had to be stronger than this, dammit! She couldn't sit here and need him with her at every moment -although that wouldn't be such a horrible thing- she needed to soothe herself. She put on her best poker face, forcing herself to act like everything was okay, but she was quietly breaking.

"Natsu, what's taking so long?" she asked, making sure her voice showed absolutely no fear.

"These damn bandages- they keep sticking to me!" The boy exclaimed, flailing his arms in an attempt to break the hold the tiny bandages had on his skin. She snickered, fully enjoying the sight of the mighty dragon slayer being overcome by a waterproof stick-on bandage. As Happy flew to him and got stuck in the same predicament, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to be at peace. She really did have the best teammates. She rose to her feet and cleaned up the mess they had made before bandaging herself up.

"Ne, Ne, Natsu! Let's eat breakfast now!" Happy cheered, flying over and sitting on the cabinet.

Lucy smiled; Food sounded good right about then. She was slowly becoming less and less anxious, allowing herself to search the fridge with ease. She had always wanted to try and cook for Natsu, seeing how happy he got when Mira made him a good meal. The old saying was true, she supposed… the best way to a man's heart is through his stomach.

_N-Not that she wanted in his heart or-or….._ She sighed. _Lucy, don't even try and fool yourself. It will never be that way with him._

"Lucy, what are we gonna make?"

She shook her head as she became aware of what she was doing again. Breakfast, right! She scanned his fridge, spotting the materials to make one of her favorite morning meals.

"Omelets!" she said with a smile.

The blonde filled her arms with eggs, bell peppers, and a few other ingredients. She knew Natsu could handle cracking a few eggs, so she gave him the "most important job." She nonchalantly placed the bell pepper on the cutting board as she began humming a song her mother once sung to her. The tune always calmed her.

She was completely contented with her situation until she made her first slice into the vegetable.

She froze. Her eyes traveled to the blade in her hand. _Such a horrible device_… In an instant, she was being thrown back onto the dock, the man on top of her with a knife to her throat. He was whispering inaudible words, obviously out of his mind. He kept cutting her shallowly, laughing wildly with every slice….

Suddenly, someone touched her shoulder. She spun around, the knife in hand.

She heard Happy scream. What was wro-

The pinkette grabbed his face, stepping back and grabbing the edge of the dining room table. She looked down in her hand and saw a small amount of blood on the blade.

_N-no…_

She let the knife drop to the floor with a metallic clang before covering her mouth in horror. "I-I..I'm sorry! I-I didn't mean-" She began slowly making her way away from the kitchen.

_He… He was just trying to help…. And I hurt him…. I hurt Natsu…. I cut him… I… I…._

She felt her body shaking violently as she choked on her broken sobs. "I-I shouldn't be here… I-I'm sorry… I'm… I'm so sorry!" She made a dash to the door, fumbling with the knob, trying to escape before she hurt anyone else.

He raced behind her, grabbing onto her wrists and turning her around so she would look at him.

"Lucy, I'm okay! It's just a small cut!" Natsu told her, the urgent need to calm her down evident in his voice. "It was stupid of me to give you that knife anyways, especially after everything that's happened to you." He took both her hands in his. She tried to shrug away from him, but he tightened his grip.

"You're not leaving, either. You can't make it home in that blizzard, and I'm not going to let you go through this by yourself." He said sternly, his eyes boring into hers.

"Seeing you scared witless all the time hurts worse than a billion of these little cuts." His words were strong and heartfelt. Of course he'd rather be the one cut up than her.

As Natsu pulled her back through the house, she felt her body go numb. She had cut Natsu. Natsu of all people! If there was anyone in the world she didn't want to hurt, it was him. Natsu was her partner, her best friend, and right now, he was her caretaker. Hell, for the last few weeks, all she could think about was how to avoid hurting him at all costs! She could barely even look at herself when she hurt a stranger, but this was Natsu! She couldn't deal with this… she couldn't live with herself without fixing this!

She felt her balance falter as she tripped on a loose floorboard, clinging to him in her disoriented state.

_I need to fix this…. I need to do something with this guilt._

She wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn't come. She hated this feeling. It was cold and heavy and laced with something that stung her bones.

As he sat her down at the kitchen table, she sat in silence, racking her brain as to what she could do to relieve herself of this stifling guilt.

"Lucy it's okay… Really." He assured her as his eyes locked onto the floor, trying to keep the cut out of her gaze.

That was when she spotted the knife on the floor.

_… Maybe… I can make it even… If we're even, I'll feel better. I know I will! An eye for an eye… It'll be fair! That would fix it… It has to fix it…_

Lucy slipped her hand out of his and dropped to the floor. She scrambled furtively to the bloody knife and held it near her cheek. Her heart pounding loudly in her chest, she looked up into his eyes as he sprung to his feet.

"We-we can be even! I-I'll cut my cheek, and we'll be even! Everything will be ok then…. We'll be even!"

She saw his eyes widen as he spewed out shouts of defense. She wouldn't listen to them though. She needed this. She needed some sort of closure.

Suddenly, he had his hand around her wrist as he tore the knife from her. "Idiot! The last thing you need is another cut!"

She went limp on the floor, staring up at him as he pinned her down, trying to keep her away from anything else she could hurt herself with. His face was distressed, obviously frantic and angry that she had tried to hurt herself. He was yelling something at her, but she didn't hear it. All she could focus on was the knife in his hand.

She unconsciously put her arms in front of her body, tears streaming down her face.

"I… I'm sorry… I.. I didn't… I didn't mean to m-make you mad I s-swear… Please… Just… Please put down the knife…._Please_…"

She knew Natsu would never hurt her, but this situation was far too similar to the one on the dock. All rationality had left her.

She was afraid of Natsu.


	13. Chapter 13

Let's play a game called 'find the foreshadowing' oh what fun

* * *

Her eyes closed tight as she cowered underneath him, begging him to put the knife down as she covered her face. It took Natsu a moment to realize what she was saying. He looked at the blade in his hand, then down to Lucy who was trapped underneath him.

He felt all of the blood drain from his face as he abruptly flung the knife away in revulsion. It slid across the floor and underneath the oven, out of reach, but not out of mind.

Natsu's stomach dropped as he crawled off of Lucy. She scooted away from him until her back hit the wall, looking at him warily. Tears were streaming down her face, her breathing shallow and shaky.

She was scared senseless, and it was all his fault.

"Lucy-"

A tree branch hit the window behind Lucy and she wailed at the top of her lungs, covering her head and digging her back into the wall. She brought her legs up to her chest, letting out inaudible, yet panicked screams.

He crumpled on her at once, cradling her in his strong arms. Lucy must have been long gone, as she didn't respond much to Natsu's touch. She simply sat in his arms, her eyes wide and her pupils small, shaking violently and taking in shallow breathes. He could feel his heart breaking as he stared down at her tense frame.

Natsu held her weight as they sat on the wooden floor, wracking his brain for something to say. "Shit, Lucy, Lucy I'm so sorry. It's me, okay? I'd never hurt you Lucy, I promise!" He told her as she took in short, hollow breaths.

She slowly began gaining control, reaching up with a shaky hand to pull on his scarf, finally acknowledging his presence. He curled her up tighter in an effort to embrace her more fully, resting his forehead on the crown of her scalp.

"I'm so sorry, Lucy… I'm so sorry…" He apologized, mumbling into her hair, over and over again to cover up the sounds of her panic attack.

As a few moments passed, she finally spoke in a small voice.

"I-I won't be scared forever, right? One day, I'll be normal again…? I-I'll be ok?"

Natsu's jaw clenched upon hearing her. She sounded so fragile, so horribly breakable. He pulled her closer, feeling the rise and fall of her chest and her unsteady heartbeat. Natsu had never seen Lucy so vulnerable before. It horrified him.

"No, Lucy… Don't say things like that. Of course you're not gonna be like this forever. I'll- I'll make you better." He told her, running his fingers through her hair and over her back, not sure how to remedy the situation.

I could do that, Natsu thought. He wasn't sure, though. He'd never shown that to anyone before, not even Happy, although the cat knew vaguely about it. He looked down at Lucy as she curled up against him, like being in his arms made the nightmares go away. Well, he thought, It's my fault she's like this. I have no choice but to try.

Natsu took Lucy's hand gently and looked into her frightened eyes. He spoke softly to her, placing his forehead on hers.

"C'mon, I have something to show you."

The boy brought her to her feet as delicately as he could, taking on most of her weight as he lead her to his room.

He sat her down in front of his hammock, squeezing her hand before slipping out of her grasp and traveling to the corner of the room. Natsu mechanically moved a large, dust covered box and took out a floorboard, pulling out an old, wooden flute. It had many pieces of tape wrapped around it to keep it from falling apart, and a small dragon's tooth dangled from it on a red string. He dusted it off, handling the instrument lovingly as he turned to Lucy and sat directly in front of her.

"I've had this ever since I was with Igneel. He liked music, and he used to make me play it a lot. He never called it playing the flute though, it was always 'breathing exercises'." He chuckled a little, knowing Igneel was just weird like that.

"Well, I would play it whenever I was sad. It was always the same tune. And every time I played it, Igneel would come find me and make me feel better and…" He choked on his words for a moment, lost in old memories of Igneel and the forest.

"And I wanna play it to you. You'll be the first person to hear me play it." He scratched the back of his head nervously. "I'd rather you be the first actually…"

His eyes met Lucy's. She seemed calmer now, and she was staring attentively at him as she curled in on herself.

The boy kept his eyes on her as he brought the instrument to his lips, worried for a brief moment that he might not remember how to play.

A sharp note rang out, clear as day, and all the memories flooded back. Every note, every key was unexpectedly known to him. Lucy was close to forgotten as he got swept up in the trance of the music.

In a flurry of emotions, Natsu was brought back to his home in the forest. He was just a boy back then. On the day Igneel left, all day and all night, he played the same song on his flute. He didn't move to eat or drink. The little dragon slayer's mind was focused solely on finding Igneel, stubbornly refusing to believe that his father left him. Igneel would always came to find him when he played that song, but that time was the exception.

On that day, and for many days to come, Natsu was alone.

After a week of silence, Natsu packed up his few possessions and left the only home he ever knew, determined to never let anyone hurt him like that again. He felt a bitter, childish resentment towards his father for leaving without a word, but he was not without worry. As time went by, his bitterness ran dry, and all he wanted to do was try and find his dad. At first, he thought he would find Igneel quickly and that he was foolish for thinking his father would leave him. But as Igneel never showed up, Natsu began to feel lonely and desperate to see him again. There was a new, dull ache in his chest; a hole that Igneel left in the boy's heart. But he would forgive him, if he would only take him home… If they could only be happy again.

He felt the song winding down. Strange, it felt like he had only picked up the flute a moment ago. He gave the girl a soft smile.

"I guess you can laugh at me now."

A contented smile graced her lips as she shook her head. Slowly, she crawled into his lap, pulling a blanket off of his bed and wrapping it around herself. A few months ago, he might have shrugged away from her touch, but now he was painfully aware of how much he needed her, just as much as she needed him. He used his arms to swaddle her as she closed her eyes and steadied her breathing. She began fidgeting with the end of his scarf, leaning her head against his chest. He could feel her relax as she nuzzled up against him.

"Natsu… Thank you…"

The boy could've said anything, but his mouth wouldn't cooperate with his brain. What could he say? Never had he ever shown off this facet of his life before. He had been too scared. But he had worn his heart on his sleeve today, and she had accepted him. The only time anyone had ever done that was when he had joined Fairy Tail, but this was much more intimate than that. This was just her… Only her… Accepting him for who he was.

His heart swelled at the thought of Lucy accepting every bit of him. It was scary, Natsu realized, that he could trust someone this much. Lucy had the ability to shatter his heart into a million pieces, but he wasn't the least bit worried, because he knew Lucy would never take advantage of that.

Or at least, he hoped.

She looked up at him with a small smile, which he returned involuntarily. For a moment, he could only stare at the girl, in limbo between feeling bliss and worry.

_Lucy really is pretty…_

He frowned. The pinkette wouldn't allow himself to think about Lucy that way. Admittedly, she was exceptionally pretty- that was common knowledge- but for him to think about her in that kind of light… It could go very wrong for the both of them. Besides, with the way he frightened her earlier, he had no right to think about Lucy romantically. His guilt wouldn't let him.

"Achoo!"

Natsu lifted his head and smirked.

"Happy, you can come out now, it's okay." Natsu called, encouraging his friend to come out of hiding. The door squeaked open as the little blue cat entered with a plate.

"Lucy was acting scary… So I made her a fish to get better!" He said slowly.

"And a bandage for your face, Natsu." Happy added quickly.

Natsu and Lucy both tensed as Happy continued. The boy looked to her desperately, unsure of how to convey to her that he didn't care about the small cut across his cheek.

"Lucy…" He squeezed her close to him briefly, as if telling her that everything was alright.

_But it's not alright, I scared my nakama. She felt threatened by me._

The image of the terror in her eyes wouldn't leave him alone. Guilt burdened his shoulders like boulders, and he would much rather carry boulders than feel this way.

Hell, he'd let Lucy's assaulter press a knife to his throat if he could change what happened in that kitchen.

Natsu felt Lucy put the bandage on his face, as Happy couldn't properly do it. She carefully placed it over the cut, glancing between her work and his eyes.

_What can I do to show you I'm sorry? I'm awfully sorry, Lucy…_

Suddenly, a rough cough erupted from Lucy's chest. It was wet and sounded painful, startling Natsu and Happy who weren't anticipating anything of that sort.

"You- You're not sick are you?!" Natsu exclaimed, his eyes widening comically as he looked over every inch of her for some sort of infection or cut he might have missed when she was being bandaged.

"Lucy! Eat this fish! It'll heal you!" Happy shouted, genuinely believing in the powers of seafood.

In a frenzy of flying limbs and frantic screaming, Lucy ended up on the couch again while Happy flailed around and Natsu tried to take her temperature.

"Happy, how am I supposed to tell if she's hot if I'm already warmer than her?!" Natsu asked, patting Lucy's face in hopes of suddenly being gifted with what degree her thermal heat was at.

"I can't take her temperature either! 'Cause I'm a cat!" Happy wailed.

"Well then what do we do?" Natsu asked, narrowing his eyes and planting his fists on his hips.

Happy got a wild glint in his eye that suddenly made Natsu very nervous.

"I know, you could use your lips! Like how they do with babies!" Happy smiled, glancing between the boy and girl.

Lucy's face lit up bright red at the cat's words as she hid her face behind a pillow.

"H-He can't do that! It'd be too embarrassing!"

"What? What is the baby thing?" Natsu asked her eagerly. Maybe this way he could finally see if she was running a temperature or if they needed to call a doctor or something.

"We-Well…" She poked her head up from behind the pillow. "When people want to know if babies have a fever, they kiss the back of their hand and then k-kiss the baby's forehead to compare heat…"

Natsu stumbled backward. Happy, that little devil…

"Do your best, Natsu!" Happy cheered him on playfully. Natsu growled, a blush spreading through his cheeks and ears.

"Dammit, Happy!"Natsu swore, chased the flying cat around the small room.

"Eh… You guys…" Lucy finally spoke up, gaining the boy and the cat's immediate attention.

"I think I should just go to sleep…" She said, lying down and curling up on the old couch. The boys traveled to her side, Natsu draping a blanket over her out of habit; he always did that when Happy went to bed.

The two mages made less than subtle eye contact before Lucy closed her eyes. Natsu just wanted her to be comfortable, but he couldn't help but think back to his guilt when he looked at her.

…

"Natsu, she's been asleep for an hour."

Happy poked his knee, making Natsu turn to face him. The boy had been sitting on the floor by the couch, guarding Lucy diligently.

"I know." He put simply, not making any move to leave her side. Happy shrugged and walked off, leaving the boy to his thoughts again. Lucy moaned in her sleep, making Natsu spring into action. He sighed. She was still asleep, but the girl looked feverish.

Natsu thought back to what Lucy said about the other way to compare temperature. The one using his lips… He unconsciously brushed his lips with his fingertips, his cheeks heating up as he watched Lucy sleep.

_It can't hurt. I mean, it's for her own good._

Natsu firmly pressed his lips to the back of his hand, taking in his own heat. His gaze locked on Lucy as he inched himself closer and closer to her face. Just about an inch away from her forehead, her scent was overpowering his senses. Just a little closer…

"I knew it! I knew you liked her!"

Happy's voice boomed loudly in his ears. Natsu yelped and jumped back, scowling at the cat. He ran a hand through his hair in an attempt to act natural. His eyes searched around for something to navigate the conversation away from Lucy and promptly remembered the blizzard from last night.

"…Shut up, we have snow to get rid of…"

Natsu had been blowing away his frustrations outside in the form of breath attacks with Happy watching from afar, making snowmen. The cat knew from experience not to get near Natsu when he was like this.

"Karyuu no Houkou!" The boy shouted furiously, sending a plume of fire to melt a path in the snow.

"Damn it!" He yelled, punching a fiery fist into the snow.

_First I scare her half to death, and now she's sick. Why the hell can't I pull it together?!_

The boy sighed heavily, falling into the snow with a dejected frown on his face.

_Knowing Lucy, she'll forgive me for scaring me. And she'll say that her getting sick wasn't my fault. Why doesn't that make me feel any better though?_

"N-Natsu…"

The boy was alerted quickly by the sound of a weak voice coming from his little house, his sharp ears picking up the distressing noise.

"Happy, c'mon!" He called to the cat, sprinting at full speed towards the little shack, bursting through the door to find Lucy collapsed on the floor.

Natsu felt his heart stop momentarily seeing her. She was red, her skin badly inflamed. Her breaths were hollow and labored. He gathered her up in his arms, shaking in terror.

"Hey Natsu… did you know… My mother had horrible fevers, and she was given ice baths. That was… That was a few days before she died. The doctors didn't know what else to do… Hey Natsu, I want an ice bath before I die." She rasped, coughing lightly. Natsu paled at her words.

"No, no, don't say die, Lucy. Don't say that-" The boy clutched her close to him, his lip quivering as he tried to stay calm. Lucy was obviously having delusions from her high fever. He frantically wracked his brain for something that might help her.

"Happy, do you-" Natsu started, and then sighed as he realized Happy had fainted on the floor. He scooped him up and put his cat friend on the couch.

Medicine. He thought. Natsu jumped up after carefully unwrapping Lucy from his body, rummaging and digging through cabinets and cupboards for anything to bring her fever down.

He stumbled across an old thermometer and popped it in Lucy's mouth without a second thought. She didn't seem to notice the thermometer in her mouth, and Natsu had to hold it in place.

The slayer impatiently took the rod out of her mouth, praying to whoever would listen that her temperature was fine and he was overreacting.

"40.8 celsius…" He breathed, the thermometer falling out of his grasp as he looked at the girl in shock.

"Happy! That's over 105 degrees, I'm not even that warm!" He exclaimed, forgetting that Happy was unconscious at the moment.

_It must be wrong. She can't be that warm…_

Without hesitation, Natsu pressed his lips to the back of his palm and then to Lucy's forehead. He shot backwards.

_No… The thermometer is right, she's practically cooking_.

Not knowing what to do with his situation, he bundled Lucy up in the comforter and took her outside. He tried to sit her out in the cold air on the old rocking chair they kept, but she grabbed his shirt and held onto him steadfastly. He cringed, not wanting to let go of her, but knowing it was for her own good.

"Lucy, no, I'm too warm for you." He told her as sternly as his shaky voice could. She shook her head numbly.

"I don't care." She mumbled. "Just don't leave me."

Pain twisted Natsu's stomach. What could he do? He eventually gave in to her wishes, not being able to withstand the look of need in her eyes. Natsu sat down on the rickety old rocking chair and placed Lucy on his lap, their steamy breaths mingling in the cold air.

"Natsu… I'm scared…" She croaked, her voice cracking. Natsu's eyes widened and he bit his lip to keep the sobs from coming up his throat. He couldn't remember a time in his life where he ever felt so damn useless. If he couldn't even protect Lucy, then what could he do? Without Lucy he was nothing. She made up part of who he was- what he aspired to be. It wasn't fair that she would go down like this. She was so much stronger than this fever, than him.

"Natsu!" Happy rushed through the door, now upright and awake. He flew to Lucy's lap and hugged her, blubbering about how she needed to get better.

_Crunch._

The boy heard a crunching noise. He assumed it was nothing, and focused his attention on Lucy.

_Crunch._

He heard the noise again.

"Happy, shush."

Out of his peripherals, a black figure came into sight. Lucy didn't breathe, and Natsu's eyes narrowed on the malevolent-looking man in front of him.

"N-Natsu that's- that's h-him!" Lucy whispered, her hands coming to cover her face. Natsu stood up immediately and turned to shield her with his body. He handed her off to Happy like a baton before turning back to the man.

"Happy, bring Lucy inside." Natsu told him. He was adamant on keeping Lucy safe, even if it killed him.


	14. Chapter 14

When Lucy saw the man, her heart stopped. At the lake, she had stabbed the knife to his side in self-defense, and she had watched him fall into the water. She thought she had killed him; she thought she was safe.

She was wrong.

The girl felt Happy lift her out of the comforter and into the house. No…no..no no no! This can't be happening! This can't be happening!The blue cat locked the door behind him as he put Lucy in a corner between the wall and the fireplace in an effort to keep her hidden. She slipped down to the floor, her sickness and anxiety taking over her body as she began gasping for air.

"L-Lucy! Lucy are you okay!? Lucy!" The cat was blubbering, trying to climb into her arms.

She collapsed onto the fireplace, the brick of the chimney scraping the side of her face. She could still hear the cat screaming, but it was becoming muffled and faded. She felt her breathing becoming shallow as the room began spinning, and everything went black.

_Tears streaming down her face, she back down the dock the man had chased her onto. It creaked as she fell backwards, her keys falling out of her hands and sliding just out of her reach. Before she could comprehend what had happened, he was on top of her. He used his knees to pin her arms to the dock as he reached out and grabbed her keys. He teased her, jangling them inches from her face._

_"You know, at first, all I wanted was these little beauties. I could make a fortune off them, but you've pissed me off now." She could only watch in horror as he flung her keys into the lake. "You can't defend yourself now, can you bitch? And those spirits won't have a clue that you're in trouble… Now I can have fun as I watch you die~ Whatcha got to say about that, huh?"_

_In a surge of rage and defiance, she spat in the man's face._

_"Why you little…"_

_He used his weight to crush her, his hand strangling the girl's neck as he pulled a knife out of his jacket. Slowly, he traced it across her body, cackling and promising her a slow and painful death. She let out a pathetic whimper, desperately trying to break free of his hold._

_One of her arms broke free, and she grabbed his hair in an attempt to fight back. He surged with rage, slamming her arm to the ground, inching toward her face as he put the knife to her throat._

_"I am going to kill you, right here, right now, and it's going to feel good." She choked out sobs as the knife shallowly cut her neck, the man giggling with sick pleasure as he watched her squirm._

_In a surge of adrenaline, her other arm slipped free. She grabbed his hand as he tried to push the blade through her throat. She used as much strength as she could muster up to push the knife away from her neck, the man gritting his teeth in anger. As he leaned forward, she was able to move the bottom half of her body as she slipped out from underneath his legs. She propelled herself forward, flinging the man backwards as she scrambled to her feet. The man lunged at her, trying to regain control of the situation, but she drove the knife into his side._

_"Gah!"_

_He stumbled to the edge, and Lucy pushed him into the water. As he began falling backwards, a flash of lightning illuminated the sky and his face became visible. His deep eyes poured into her, in shock. His pink bangs dangling in front of his eyes after being weighed down by the rain. His scarf was covered in blood, the scar from his battle with Future Rouge re-opened and bleeding out. Time froze as she stared at her partner in horror._

_"Lu…cy?"_

_He crashed into the lake, blood pooling where he sank. She was screaming frantically and incoherently. Sobbing violently as her knees fell to the dock. She had killed Natsu! Her screams became louder as her surroundings became blurred._

Everything started going white.

Happy brought Lucy inside, the door closing with a satisfying click. It would be locked on the inside now, and the man would have to break down the door to get in.

Natsu's eyes narrowed. It wouldn't come to that.

The man came lumbering towards him. He was well built, but looked like he hadn't had a good meal in ages. Fresh injuries were scattered around his body, bloodstains only proving how weak this man was. Nonetheless, the battered assaulter confronted him, his eyes fogged with bloodlust.

"Move it pinky, I gotta finish what I started." He ground out, pulling a hunter's knife from his jacket. The blade was jagged on one side and crusted brown on the edges. The man noticed Natsu eyeing the weapon.

"You like this pinky? I'm surprised I didn't lose it when your girl threw me in that lake. I can still taste that little bitch's blood…" He told Natsu, slowly running his tongue on the blade.

Rage coursed through Natsu's veins. His fists flared up in flames by his sides. He was seething in anger. No one was allowed to hurt Lucy.

"I'm gonna make you pay….."

The Salamander growled and pounced at the wounded assaulter who looked surprised by the flames Natsu possessed. Rolling to the side, the man dodged Natsu by inches. He swung his knife wildly, over and over again.

Natsu flipped backwards, skidding out of the knife's range. He huffed in frustration- this guy was faster than he looked. There was something malicious in the eyes of that man. They were cold, and without light. An absolutely merciless man who reveled in the pain of others. A sadist if there ever was. He'd never forgive him for hurting Lucy. The man threw snow in his face causing Natsu to lose sight of him.

Where did he-

A swift kick came to his left side and Natsu cried out. His scar from his fight with Future Rogue was there and it throbbed painfully from the attack.

While Natsu was reeling, the man attacked him head on, hitting the slayer's jaw and pushing him to the ground. Effectively pinning Natsu down, the man pressed his knife to the pinkette's throat.

"Maybe I'll keep you alive long enough to watch me kill that girl. Oh man, it'll be a real treat watching her choke on her own blood."

Every muscle in Natsu's body tensed. An ocean of fire roared through every fiber of his being, propelling his body forward and flinging the man to the edge of a cliff. The boy lurched toward him to sound of a single word, beating in time with his pulse, like a drum.

_Kill. Kill. Kill._

"Karyuu no…" The boy spoke through gritted teeth. His vision blurred red, the only thing definite was the demon in front of him and his two saviors waiting for him in his home.

"Houkou!"

The man wasn't given time to react, the powerful breath attack hitting him at a close range and knocking him twenty feet away into a tree. The force ended up shaking the snow free and trapping the man underneath it, not that he was going anywhere anyway after that kind of counter attack.

Natsu picked up the knife that lay in the snow. It felt odd in his hands. He rarely used weapons of any sort, and was repulsed by the thought of how many people were harmed by this knife.

The fire mage stalked over to the man trapped up to his neck in the snowdrift who was cowering in fear. Natsu grabbed the knife with both hands, making quick work of melting it beyond repair and throwing it over the nearby cliff without a word.

"L-Listen man, I just wanted to stea- sell her keys for a quick buck- but she egged me on and-" The man pleaded pathetically.

"Bullshit!" The steaming boy grabbed the man by his collar, lifting him up only to smash his body against the tree. Any snow that hit Natsu was immediately steamed away by his fiery fury. He felt dirty touching that grimy man's clothes, and the odor he reeked of was enough to make Natsu want to vomit.

Natsu raised a fist, all too ready to end this man, but stopped short on account of one thing.

Lucy.

In all her good-natured ways, she wouldn't want Natsu to kill this man. It wasn't the Fairy Tail way, and it wasn't his way. He sighed heavily, throwing the man to the side.

The man blinked, obviously not expecting to escape the slayer's grasp. There was something desperate in his eyes. "What, aren't you gunna kill me, pinky? You hate me, dontcha? Go on, do it! I've always wanted to know what it's like to be on the receiving end. You'll get high off of playing god. We're not too different, you'll see."

There was that word again. Hate. Lucy had been so adamant about him not hating anyone recently…

Natsu exhaled deeply. "No, I'm not like you." His voice was calm, and stern, but had a poisonous bite to it that said he meant business- as if his downright murderous outward appearance wasn't clue enough. He crouched down to look closely at the shaking husk of a person on the ground before him.

"Now you climb off this mountain, out of this town, and crawl back into whatever hole you crawled out of. And if you ever try to touch my friends, my nakama, or my partner ever again, I wouldn't hesitate to burn you into ashes on the spot. Got that bastard?"

The man nodded furiously, unable to speak under the lethal glare of the Salamander.

"I won't show mercy to you a second time, so you better leave before I change my mind." Natsu commanded, his eyes penetrating and his voice positively toxic. A part of him knew that was a bluff, but another part of him was ruthlessly serious on tearing this man's jugular apart.

The slayer watched as the man skittered away from him in horror and disbelief, no doubt going to have nightmares for weeks on end about the fiery monster who swore to destroy him.

She pushed herself back into his thoughts like a slap in the face.

"Lucy…" He breathed, turning around and sprinting towards the shack, jiggling the handle roughly and pounding on the door.

"Lucy! Lucy open the door! C'mon Lucy!" Natsu's pleads became more desperate as he heard no sounds coming from the house. He couldn't be too late; he could not have his partner go out like this, not after everything that's happened.

"Lucy open the door! It's me, Natsu! Open the door it's me!"

The door slowly gave way to show Lucy, barely able to stand and shaking. Natsu felt tears prick into his eyes at the sight of her, still alive. Without thinking, he tackled her, crushing her against him furiously and affectionately.

"You're okay. I just… But you're _okay_." He mumbled, swallowing back sobs of relief. Natsu wasn't sure if he was reassuring her or himself.

"Natsuuu!" Happy wailed, finally in control of his senses after all the mayhem. He crawled under in between them and cried on Natsu's waistcoat. They like that for a moment before Happy spoke again.

"N-Natsu, Natsu you have to help her! She- she wouldn't talk to me… she wouldn't move… I thought she… I thought she was…"

Natsu's tensed as he realized what Happy was trying to say.

Lucy was far from okay.

As he looked down at her, he could see she was staring off into space, barely conscious. He scooped her up into his arms and took a step out the door. Maybe now that the creep was gone she could cool down.

"N-No… No!" She protested, momentarily alert as she hid her face in Natsu's chest. The boy stopped and frowned.

"Lucy…" He said, turning her head slightly so she would look him in the eyes.

"Lucy, he's gone. I made him leave and he's not coming back. We're safe." He smiled slightly as she stopped protesting, and he stepped further outside, Happy not trailing far behind.

He sat back down on the rocking chair while Lucy passed in and out of consciousness. Natsu looked to Happy with worry, neither of them wanting to make a sound until Lucy did.

…

"Natsu, her lips are turning blue." Happy told him startlingly. Natsu pressed his hand to her forehead. She seemed cooler than before, and was now sleeping in his arms.

"I think her fever broke." Natsu said, not taking his eyes off Lucy. He gathered her up in his arms slowly as not to wake the sleeping girl.

"Na…tsu?"

Shit.

He quickly set her down on the couch, or at least he would've if she let go.

"Lucy, eh, c'mon, let go 'a me." He said, examining her face to make sure she was still okay.

"Mou… Stay here…" She drawled, blinking away the sleep in her eyes. Natsu sighed. Today had been more exhausting than he'd like to admit, and he supposed sleeping next to Lucy another night wouldn't hurt either.

"I….I'm sorry… I guess I'm being too clingy, huh?" She said softly, turning around on the the couch so they were facing each other. Lucy wore a sad expression on her face, retreating to face the pillow after apologizing.

Natsu frowned and pulled her flush against him, no longer worrying about boundaries- not that he ever did- so she was essentially laying on top of him.

"No, no it's okay Lucy…" He said, nuzzling into her golden hair. "If you need me, I'll hold you… I'll hold you, I really don't mind… I actually… Kind of like it."

"Wh-What's that supposed to m-mean?!" She stuttered, her face red. Happy began cackling loudly on the floor.

"You lllllike her!" The true meaning of Natsu's words hit him like a speeding train. He sat up, waving his arms madly as his face flushed.

"Th-That's not- I mean- It's nice to use my magic for things other than destruction! I m-mean what else can I do for you?!"

Natsu babbled on, growing more red faced as he spewed excuses while Happy continued to tease him ("You want to holllld her!"). It almost started to feel like another winter day with his teammates. Except… Something was definitely different. Something had shifted in Natsu Dragneel's heart, and he wasn't sure if he had the courage to figure out what it was. But he had a pretty good idea who caused it.

* * *

we debated a lot on whether or not we should kill off Lucy's assaulter. it eventually ended in a vote from other people (democracy!) and Natsu let him live. was that a good move, do you think?


	15. Chapter 15

The climax is coming up, and we're hecka thirsty for reviews

* * *

"Are you sure you'll be alright, Lucy? It's okay if you need to stay a few more nights." Natsu spoke with a concerned tone in his voice, obviously worried about leaving her alone.

"I'll be okay I think… this is my house after all."

In all honesty, Lucy didn't really want to go home, but it had been a week since she burst through his door and she wasn't sick anymore. The snow was gone and her assaulter was never coming back. What reason did she have to stay?

Her logic made sense, but the girl couldn't fight off the nagging desire to trek back up the mountain with him into his shack.

Lucy had become fond of the little house, its creaky floorboards and treasured mementos on the wall. She loved how Natsu would play his flute for her when she couldn't sleep… How Happy would cook up so many fish recipes for her to try as she got better… How her partners decided to sleep on the floor next to her the entire time she was there, that was if they weren't on the couch with her.

The girl wasn't looking forward to walking into her apartment, its walls somewhat bare and the room silent.

The two mages stood there for a moment, lingering in an awkward silence. This felt far too similar to a goodbye, and she hated everything about it. Completely in sync, they both moved in for a hug, unsure of what else to do. As Natsu gave her a tight squeeze, he let out a nervous chuckle.

"Y-ya know, Lucy… I'm really glad I left my door unlocked that night."

She smiled slightly, digging her face into his shirt in agreement. He continued. "… But, just in case you need me again, you can have my spare key if you'd like."

She paused at his words, stepping back as she watched the boy pull out an old brass key from his pocket. He scratched the back of his head nervously as he folded it in her hand.

Happy chimed in cheerfully "Be sure to come visit soon, okay?"

Lucy blinked, staring dumbly at the key.

_He… He's giving me the key… to his house?_

Lucy was well aware of just how intimate this small gesture was. A sweet smile spread across her face as she brought the little treasure to her chest.

"Yeah… Yeah, I'll visit really soon… I promise!"

The boy grinned wildly, looking relieved that she had accepted his gift. He tackled her affectionately, drawing her close against him.

_Worrying that I might reject him… He's such an idiot!_

They lingered there for a moment, not wanting to pull away. She had gotten spoiled to having Natsu by her side. She didn't want him to leave. She didn't want to go home. Tears began pricking in her eyes. She bit her bottom lip and took in a deep breath. She stepped back, trying to wipe her eyes secretly so he didn't see the tears.

"I-I think you should go… I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Natsu hesitantly stepped back, his eyes avoiding hers.

"Y-yeah… I'll see you… Tomorrow then…"

"Bye bye, Lucy!"

With that, the boys walked down the stairs and out the door, Lucy slipping into her apartment once they were out of sight.

She leaned back against the door, looking around the dark room in silence.

_So empty…_

She slid to the floor, bringing her knees to her chest as the tears began flowing.

"Natsu…"

_This is so so wrong… All of this is so wrong. I shouldn't be like this. This is my house. This is my home. I don't live with him. I should be happy here, in my house, by myself, like always. But I'm not. And I know why._

_I fell in love with him._

She let out a harsh sob.

_I love him. I love him and I know it. I love his smile. I love his idiotic ways. I love how loyal and protective he is. I love how sweet and fun he can be. I love everything about him._

Lucy's lower lip trembled as she tried to stop crying. She clapped a hand over her mouth and screamed in muffled frustration.

_It wasn't supposed to be like this. I don't deserve him now. I can't have him._

The worst part was that she knew this was coming. She had felt it creeping up on her. On missions and at home, whenever he was with her. And yet, she didn't do anything to stifle those feelings.

And now she was here. Alone.

She looked down at the key in her hand lovingly. He probably had no idea how much that meant to her. She frowned. _I shouldn't have taken this… I shouldn't have led him on… I can't be with him… I shouldn't even try and fool myself._

She tucked it in her pocket, trying not to think about him or his good intentions.

She knew she couldn't be with him.

She couldn't possibly be with him and keep this secret from him.

It was hard enough, being with him so much, being so close to him and trying to hold her tongue. It only became harder and harder as she fell for him. She wanted him to know. She wanted him to be with his father. She didn't want to hide anything from him, but she didn't have a choice.

No matter how much she loved him, he would hate her for this.

He would never be with her.

_Besides, I let this go too far_. She thought, curling up closer on herself.

_Even if I tell him now, he won't want me anymore. He would hate me for lying to him. For breaking his trust. He would hate me for finding Igneel alone. He would say it was all my fault. He wouldn't trust me anymore._

She looked over to the trash can next to her desk. It was filled with letters she had written to Natsu trying to explain what happened. She would write them whenever she felt she couldn't hold in the secret anymore, shredding them and throwing them away soon after. She had written that letter a thousand times…

_No, this is simply how it's going to be… Me… Lying to him… and loving him all the same._

Lucy rose to her feet, her heart breaking as she crawled into her bed. She wasn't prepared for tomorrow, where she would have to put on a smile and act like there was nothing wrong.

"Natsu… You sleep here a lot, don't you?" She mumbled into the sheets.

"... If you came here now… Would you sleep next to me again? If you knew what I had done… Would you still hold me like you said you would?"

She let out a harsh sob.

_No… He definitely wouldn't._

She curled up in the blanket, letting the tears soak her pillow, ready to remain that way all night and for many nights to come.


	16. Chapter 16

It was a long trip home for Natsu.

_I could've sworn she was about to cry…_

He produced a key from his pocket, an exact replica of the one he had given Lucy. It felt different turning the key in the lock today, knowing that Lucy wouldn't be on the other side of the door. It was ridiculous, he confirmed with himself, that he should be so unwilling to enter his own house.

After a week of her being a part of his home, he craved the normalcy of it all. He could admit that he enjoyed waking up next to her, even if he had slept on the floor that night, and all of the little domestic things they did together, like washing the dishes or brushing their teeth, were suddenly seen in an appealing and intimate light.

Natsu sighed, his footsteps heavy as he passed through the threshold. "So… Do you want to eat something?" Happy asked him as they entered, the cat's normally cheerful demeanor was now heavy with sadness. Natsu didn't bother to respond to his friend; the boy's mind was clouded with seemingly pointless things.

He walked through the house systematically, pulling his scarf closer to him, as the rooms seemed colder than usual. He made his way to the hearth, the image of Lucy sitting in front of the fire dancing in his head. His mind lingered for a moment on that scene, and the brilliant warmth that came with it. He found himself frowning as he recognized his heartbeat speeding up. Not the kind of speed that came with fighting, although, it was somewhat akin to the thrill he felt when he was using his fire magic. It made him happy, and it made him feel powerful, like he could take on the world with this feeling.

But at the same time, it was laced with something sad… Like something was missing. A kind of bittersweet thing that he wasn't aware he wanted until now.

Maybe it was because of her…?

He told himself that that was silly. She couldn't be the one causing his chest to tighten. It was probably heartburn or something. She was only in his home for a week after all, and he could go and see her anytime he wanted at her own house... But one thing was for certain, he could fight these peculiar feelings until he fainted, but there was no denying, it just wasn't the same without her near him.

"Natsu, I miss Lucy."

"Me too, Haps."

He plopped down on the floor, losing himself in the fire's warmth. His eyes scanned the room once more, trying to get acquainted with the fact that Lucy wasn't there. He began to take in his surroundings more thoroughly, fully noticing the disarray of his little home. The soot caked on the fireplace he'd been meaning to clean out, the frayed edges of the rug he was sitting on, the unmistakable pop of crackling fire and creaking floorboards, and the lingering scent of Lucy coupled with earthy smells of maple and cat dander were all coming back to him now. It was now, when the house felt so empty, that Natsu could appreciate its finer qualities, as well its more lackluster ones.

That was when he spotted the outfit she had arrived in neatly folded on the floor beside the hearth.

A small smile crept onto his face as he shifted over to the pile of clothes, Happy watching from the sidelines.

"You know we're gonna have to return these to her tomorrow, right?" He asked the cat, looking over his shoulder to see him smirking.

"You just want an excuse to go and see her, Natsu!"

Natsu blushed red at Happy's accusation, confused as to why he was so eager to see her again. And of course, he was, but he wouldn't give in to Happy's teasing so easily.

He picked up her clothes hastily, bundling them together while giving Happy a pointed look.

A piece of carefully folded up parchment hit the boy's foot.

Curiously, he picked up the paper that fell out of Lucy's clothes. Natsu hesitated for a moment, a sense of dread filling him abruptly and disappearing as quickly as it came. Maybe he shouldn't. Lucy would get mad at him for reading her personal things. But he couldn't help himself from taking a peek.

A lot of the words were washed out, he discovered, as Lucy had been soaked to the bone on the night she stumbled into his house. He shuddered at the memory, knowing that he would've had nightmares about that scene if it wasn't for Lucy sleeping next to him every night she had been there.

He could only make out bits and pieces, as most of the ink was smudged and smeared, but he read what he could in his head.

"Dear Natsu, I'm - sorry… I've - something terrible. I - on - mountain... - found Igneel... I won't tell you - - be angry. - for - - good."

For a moment, he couldn't comprehend what those words meant; they were lost on him as any foreign language. He stood there, rereading what he could of the short passage, as if it would make any more sense the fourth or eleventh time he read it.

The boy started to shake violently, the paper tearing slightly in his hands.

"There's no way…"

Happy crawled over to where Natsu was on the floor, unsuspecting of the torrent of emotions swirling in his friend.

"What's that?" He asked, noticing Natsu's pained expression. Without saying a word, he handed the letter to Happy, slowly reaching up to ball his fists in his hair.

_There's no way she found Igneel on that mountain. She would've told me. But why would she write me that letter then...? It must be some kind of prank she planted. A sick joke. Lucy knows better than to use Igneel's name like that._

His bewilderment quickly turned to anger. It stung to think that Lucy would do that to him.

_But what if it's not a joke? What if she's really been lying to you?_

The small voice in his head taunted him cruelly. He snapped, grabbing the paper harshly away from Happy and crushing it in his fist, wanting nothing more than to smother the revealing words on the page.

He bolted upright. Now was the time to get some answers.

Before Happy even had a chance to say a word, Natsu flew out the door, sprinting full-speed down the mountain, his anger and pain snowballing as he made his way to Lucy's house.

By the time he reached her doorstep, he was positively livid. The lights were off, and she was probably asleep, but that didn't stop Natsu from roughly banging his fist on the door.

"Lucy!" He shouted at her from the outside, banging again on her door for good measure.

The door flew open, revealing a somewhat panicked Lucy, her eyes swollen red and a trail of tears staining her cheeks. Her appearance startled him, but he couldn't even begin to think about why she was crying- he was blinded by anger and confusion. He wanted answers, but more than anything, he wanted this to not be real. He didn't want Lucy to find Igneel and keep it a secret from him.

"Na-Natsu?" She asked. It was late at night, and Lucy probably wasn't expecting him, but he couldn't find himself caring about time. He needed something definite that he could latch onto. Lucy was usually there for that, but now that she was the subject of suspicion; Natsu's rationality flew right out the window.

The boy pushed his way into the apartment, slamming the door behind him. Lucy stepped back as he barged in. She seemed to notice how on edge he was, not attempting to block him. Before she could speak, he shoved the crumpled-up letter in front of her face.

"Lucy, what the fuck is this?! Is this some kind of joke?!"

She gasped at the sight of it, covering her mouth and stepping back until her back hit the kitchen table. The shock was evident in her eyes and body posture. She stared at the harmless piece of paper like it was a gruesome monster.

"W-Where… Where did you f-find that…?" She whispered, her body shaking at this point.

"Does it matter? Lucy, tell me this isn't true! Please tell me this is some kind of sick joke!" He seethed, desperately clinging to the possibility that this was a dumb prank. He could forgive a dumb prank.

As she stepped back further, shaking her head and letting out choked sobs, those hopes went out the window along with any sort of self-control.

"Why… Lucy… Lucy, why!? How could you do this to me?!" he breathed out, his head reeling.

"I'm sorry, Natsu! I-"

"You're _sorry_? He snarled bitterly, Lucy shrinking back at the venomous tone in his voice.

"You found my father, kept it a secret, and led me on, but you're _sorry_?" The boy threw the letter at her feet.

"Fuck, Lucy I trusted you!" He held his head in his hand, trying to wrap his head around what was happening. His voice reached a grave tone as he cursed himself for being so stupid.

"I let you into my home… Hell, I let you into my heart…" He couldn't look her in the eye, feeling oddly ashamed of himself for letting this happen.

"...Your heart...?" She breathed.

"Yes, my heart! I wanted to take care of you… And you stab me in the back! What, did you think that key was some kind of joke?! Were you just toying with me, Lucy? All that time we spent together, did it mean nothing to you?! Well, it meant something to me! It meant a lot!"

"N-Natsu, Natsu it meant something to me too! It-"

"Then why would you do this?! If you cared about me as much as I care about you, you wouldn't have done this! Why-"

"Because I didn't want you to hate me!" She blurted out, causing the boy to stop in his tracks.

"Dammit Natsu, do you think I did this because I wanted too?! Do you think I did this just to hurt you?! I would never do that!"

The boy crossed his arms, sheltering his heart as he allowed himself to listen to her excuse. "...Then why, Lucy... Why would you do this?" He asked, trying to even out his voice.

She took in a shaky breath, stepping back until she was in front of her bed, as far from him as possible.

"He… He told me I couldn't…"

Natsu raised an eyebrow, speaking in a low voice. "Who told you…?"

"Igneel!" She exclaimed, her voice cracking. "Igneel said I couldn't tell you! He said you couldn't know about it! He said if you knew… He said that if you knew that I found him and wasn't allowed to bring you to him, you would hate me! He said you're not allowed to hate anyone! He said they'd kill you!"

Her words began sinking in as she continued, and he started to let down his guard. Her voice was becoming frantic as the truth spilled out.

"He said… He said… That if I cared about you, I would keep it secret. He said if I told you, you'd be in danger, that it would be my fault! He said you'd hate me! And you do! You hate me!"

He flinched.

"You hate me! I kept this from you, and now you hate me! Hell, you should hate me! I hate me! Natsu, I don't sleep, I don't eat, I've been so upset that I end up vomiting multiple times a week! I can't think of anything else! My heart keeps breaking and breaking, it's like someone is crushing my chest!"

"Lucy..." The boy looked up and down her body, taking in her features. Her neck was thinner than usual, and her color was duller. Why hadn't he noticed? Thinking back to when they had been at the mountain, she had been injured, so he didn't think too much about her paling appearance. As they were on their fake date, he had assumed she was just overwhelmed by all of the fake emotions. When she was under that mage's curse, it only made sense that she would have seemed sickly, and the last week she had been sick as well. He knew she wasn't eating much, but he assumed it was because she was feeling ill, but it made sense now… She hadn't been recovering, she had been suffering.

He took a step forward.

"I know you're angry! I know you hate me! I know you do, and you should! But… But Igneel said you can't… Igneel said that if you hate anyone, the dragons… The dragons will kill you and everyone else! He said you have to be pure, but now you hate me! You hate me, and now you're in danger! You're in danger because I made you hate me! It's not fair, Natsu! You should be allowed to hate me! Look what I did to you!"

The boy felt tears pricking in his eyes.

"N-No Lucy, you were only trying to protect-"

"It doesn't matter! It doesn't matter! I betrayed you! I was horrible, and I hate myself for it! I can't even look at myself in the mirror! The only person who hates me more than I do is you!"

"N-No! Lucy, don't say-"

"I will say that! I'll say it over and over again, because it's true! You hate me! I deserve it! You should hate me! I ruined everything! The one time I was given orders to protect you, and I blew it! You-You should have just left me in Hargeon! Then none of this would have happened!"

His eyes widened.

"Lucy, how could you say that-"

"Because it's true! Natsu, it's true! You hate me! Look what I've done! Just say you never want to see me again and this can be over! Say you hate me! Tear my heart to shreds, it's already broken!" Her voice broke, making Natsu's ears hurt. Lucy's tone changed to something deeper.

"I was ready… I was ready to keep this hidden forever because I wanted to keep you safe, but then you opened up to me! You trusted me more and more, and I wanted to be able to keep your trust! I wanted to make you smile, I wanted to keep you safe, I wanted… I wanted to be with you!"

"Lucy, what're you-" He stumbled towards her.

"Dammit Natsu, I love you! I love you so much, I can't control myself! I want to know every part of you, I want to be with you forever, but I can't! I can't because you hate me! You'll never be with me! You'll never want me! You hate me! It'll be like this forever, me loving you and you hating me! And I was okay with that! I was going to suffer through it! But now… now you are in danger! Now you hate me, and the dragons are going to come for you! Because you hate me! You hate me! You hate me! You hate-"

He lunged forward, cupping her face with his hands and capturing her lips with his. It was a needy, hasty kiss, but the message came across smooth enough.

As he released her lips, he rested his forehead on hers, trying to catch his breath in between soft sobs. Tears rolled freely down his cheeks as he clenched his eyes shut.

"Bull… Bullshit… Lucy, that's all bullshit!" He choked out, kissing her again. "I don't hate you! I could never hate you!"

He kissed her again, tasting the salty tears that ran all over her face. He grimaced.

"Lucy, I trust you, don't you ever doubt that. But you should've told me." Natsu told her, lifting her chin up to make her meet his eyes. His movements were unsure and jerky, as his hands wouldn't stop shaking.

She pushed away from him.

"No, no stop! Don't try to lie to me! Don't try to make me feel better! You hate me! You would have hated me if I had told you earlier, and you hate me more because you found out on your own!"

He pulled her back, wrapping one hand around her back while holding her face with the other.

"No, I don't! I don't hate you!" He kissed her forehead, her cheeks, anything to get her to listen. He held her close, breathing in shaky breaths.

"Stop… Stop talking like that… I can't stand it anymore, Lucy! It hurts… It hurts so bad to see you like this!"

"I know! I know I'm hurting you! I knew I would hurt you! Why… Why did you trust me? Why did you let me in? I'm not- I'm not good enough! Why would you do this!?"

"I don't- I don't know! I just… I wanted you to know me! I wanted you to be with me! I wanted to hold you, to keep you safe! You're constantly in my thoughts, and in my dreams. I have no idea how you did it Lucy, but I can't stay away from you! They call it love, right Lucy? Do I love you?!"

She sobbed as she shook her head. "No- No you don't love me! You hate me!"

"No, I don't! I don't hate you! Its love! It has to be! It can't be anything else! I _love_ you, Lucy! I love you so much it aches!"

He swept her up in his arms, kissing her deeply and with more force than his previous kisses.

"N-No… No, you don't… You… You can't…"

"Yes I do! Lucy, I love you!_ I love you!_ Listen to me!"

She finally looked him in the eyes.

"You... You love me…?"

He nodded vigorously. "Yeah… Yeah I love you…" He whispered, brushing a strand of hair gently behind her ears, his eyes filled with hope and longing.

"Do you love me too?"

She let out a muffled sob, a different kind of sob with a small smile on her face.

"Of course… Of course I love you… A weirdo like me, I could only fall for an idiot like you! Natsu, I love you! I love you!"

She kissed him back with vigor, the strength leaving her legs as they both slipped to the floor. Affectionately, desperately, they clung to each other, leaning against Lucy's bed for support.

Natsu's heart pumped madly._ This is what I was missing._ It was like all the pieces of the puzzle had come together for him. Now that he saw it, it seemed so obvious. What he needed was in plain sight.

It was her.

He held his arms around her protectively, sniffling slightly.

It had always been her.

Natsu looked down to the girl beside him, at a loss for how this happened. How do people fall in love anyways? There was no guide for this sort of thing. It was natural, and at the same time strange. He supposed there had been hints, little teases from his friends, strangers accidentally taking them for a couple, things like that. Natsu had never imagined being in love or confessing, especially not with Lucy. But here he was, and he didn't regret anything, except all of the torment Lucy went through to get here.

He kissed her again, as if to say he was sorry, their lips moving with less desperation and meeting in a more intimate fashion. She hugged up close to him, allowing herself to enjoy this moment.

There was only one thing left.

"So… What do we do now, Lucy?" He asked as he hugged her closer.

He saw a sweet smile dance across her lips. She chuckled softly as she spoke. "Well… When Igneel left, he flew up to the top of the mountain… I bet he is still up there…"

Natsu blinked, gulping audibly as he continued. "Do… Do you want to go with me, Lucy?"

She nodded as joyful tears started pouring down her face.

He chuckled in disbelief, tenderly wiping away her joy-tears with his thumbs. "When do we leave?"

"Now."

His heart swelled as he dug his face into her neck. He lifted his head to kiss her cheek affectionately as they both rose to their feet.

She wiped her eyes as she flashed him a smile. "I'll pack my bag, you go get Happy!"

"Ah! I left Happy outside! Hap-"

As if on cue, the cat flew into the room, tackling Natsu full-speed.

"I knew it! I knew you liked her!" He cheered jubilantly. "Natsu, I'm so happy for you!"

The boy blushed, his smile widening as he hugged his friend. The cat slipped away after a moment, rushing into Lucy's embrace.

"Lucy! Now you're gonna be with us forever, right?!"

Natsu and Lucy immediately caught each other's eyes, both of them realizing how heavy that question was in comparison to when she was first asked that, right when they became a team. She flashed him a smile of confirmation as she nuzzled into Happy's fur.

"Of course!"

Natsu and Happy both hollered in celebration. The transition from team to family was an abrupt one, but it was welcomed.

The next twenty minutes were dedicated to stuffing clothes and books into a suitcase, Natsu and Lucy sneaking small kisses in the dark. The three of them giggled like children, hand in hand as they climbed the mountain to Natsu's house, grabbing whatever they needed. Lucy had to remind Happy that he couldn't bring along raw fish.

Once they were done, they dropped by the guild and posted a note on the door for Mira and the others to find in the morning.

"Went on a trip. We'll be back eventually. Wish us luck~! - Team Natsu (P.S. Levy-chan, if I'm gone for too long and the landlady takes my apartment, take my stuff to Natsu's house, okay?)"

Their train was going to arrive at 4am, giving the team an hour or two to relax at the station. Lucy was curled up against Natsu, resting on his shoulder with a small blanket draped around her, Happy sitting in her lap fast asleep. Natsu couldn't sleep if he tried though. All he could think about was what was happening.

_I'm here. With Lucy. Running away to find Igneel. And we're in love! I actually found my mate… And she loves me back… If that's not a miracle, I don't know what is._

He absently stared at a fluorescent light overhead, watching moths and other little bugs bump into the light. Contrary to the bleak mood of the vacant train station, Natsu couldn't keep the goofy grin off of his face. He peered down at Lucy's sleeping face for the billionth time. Natsu kept looking to her, wanting to be certain that this was actually happening and that it wasn't some hyper-real fantasy his odd head cooked up.

"...I love you." He whispered aloud. It was more of a statement than anything, something that was stamped on him. Natsu could imagine himself proudly declaring it to perfect strangers. 'I'm Natsu of Fairy Tail, and I love this girl!' He laughed at the scenario, knowing Lucy would blush and punch his arm if he did that.

The train was late, but Natsu didn't care. He found that lately he was indifferent to time, perfectly content with letting his team mates rest. Their train pulled into the station, its loud rumbling contrasting starkly with the quiet station. Sleepy passengers stepped off the train, trickling away with blank expressions on their face, as if there was nowhere to be. That's what it felt like anyway, that there's nowhere to be at four in the morning.

He roused Lucy awake, smiling as she blinked away the sleep from her eyes.

"Hey…" She mumbled, rubbing her head where it had been leaning on Natsu's shoulder.

"Hey, time to go." He told her, a slightly nervous lilt to his voice. Lucy gave him a worried look, her eyes narrowing on him. He rubbed the back of his neck and avoided her eyes.

"Are you sure you're okay with this Lucy? This is all really new." Natsu wasn't sure why he was hesitating. Maybe he just didn't like change? But this was a good change! Perhaps he was just worried that Lucy wasn't as excited as he was, or maybe he just needed some reassurance that Lucy was serious about this, about _him_. Although, he would never voice those thoughts. Even thinking about them made him feel weak and vulnerable.

She looked up at him and frowned, staring deep into his eyes before sighing and sliding Happy into his lap. She rose to her feet, her eyes traveling across the station.

"Natsu…"

He held his breath.

She leaned forward, kissing his cheek as she picked up her bag.

"Don't be an idiot!"

He felt all of the fire in his belly rise into his chest, lightly touching where her lips had been on his skin with his fingertips, and a dumbfounded expression on his face. Natsu noticed Lucy's faint blush as she boarded the train, taking comfort in knowing that this was all new for Lucy as well. And besides, who else would he take to find Igneel but his family?

Natsu's heart swelled with a sense of purpose, as if he were on the verge of something extraordinary. It invigorated him.

The trio boarded the train, and for the first time in his life, Natsu was looking forward to the ride.

* * *

chapter 16 is the end of part 1... tell us how we did?


	17. Chapter 17

Big thank yous to everyone who reviewed (we love you so much)!

* * *

A crowd had formed inside the gathering hall. They were calling it an emergency meeting, but everyone who arrived was aware that the higher ups had no idea what was happening.

The topic on everyone's tongues today was that the last pure dragon slayer had, inexplicably, found out their secret location on the mountain. This worried the dragons, as they had gone to great lengths to separate themselves from humans, and if one human were to infiltrate their safe haven, more would be sure to come.

And history had made itself clear; the dragons and the humans could not coexist.

There were many arguments and many sides taken, but that was normal among the dragons, always finding something to fight about.

A number of dragons sided with the human boy, saying that the son of Igneel had been looking for his dragon father for most of his life, and perhaps the boy could be trusted with their secret location. Others were not as confident in the slayer, claiming he had not proven his purity and would most definitely act out in vengeance if he had any qualm with the dragons.

Although their opinions varied, one question was constant in every dragon's mind.

How did Natsu find them?

Well, every dragon except Igneel.

The Fire Dragon King addressed the crowd as per custom, opening up with traditional statement.

"The history connecting humans and dragons is tainted with blood. As dragons, we-"

"Oh enough with the formalities, Igneel." A smooth yet unsettling voice cut the King's speech short. "Can't we just take care of the matter at hand?"

The crowd murmured as a large, charcoal-tinted dragon pushed his way to the front of the room until he was standing before the head dragons. He had sickled spikes running down his spine, each about the length of a grown man's arm, and his wingspan reached about 40 feet in its totality. His talons were long and sturdy, expressing both his experienced age and battle-ready body. Even his underbelly was thick, his most vulnerable spot protected by rock-hard black plates. If this dragon had a weak spot, it was well-hidden.

"Staefer… You know that every meeting in this hall upholds the time-honored tradition of reciting the opening speech." Igneel spoke as calmly as he could, not overly-pleased with the lack of normalcy in this gathering. As it was, Staefer was the leader of an extremist group of dragons that wanted to take the human's land by force and bloodshed, and he was gaining supporters at an alarming rate.

"You were always a creature of habit, weren't you Igneel? Don't you know that some traditions were meant to be changed?"

Igneel scoffed at the other dragon's jab as he returned his attention back to the crowd, but before he had the chance to speak, an onslaught of questions were thrown from every corner of the room.

"Igneel, how did your dragon slayer find out our location?"

"What'll happen when he gets here? He'll tell the other humans!"

"That boy still being pure just shows that he's biased towards the humans!"

The fire dragon snarled loudly, effectively quieting the crowd.

"Igneel, the boy is your child, do you know of any way he might have come to find the mountain?" An anonymous voice rang over the crowd.

The Fire Dragon remained silent for a moment, catching the glance of the dragon that had attacked Lucy in the first place. The dragon's electric eyes said it all; if Igneel didn't come clean, he would tell the others himself.

Igneel exhaled in defeat.

"Natsu knows where we are… Because I interacted with someone he knew."

A resounding gasp rippled throughout the crowd, the energy in the room spiking at the chief dragon's treacherous words.

"Igneel… Why would you do that?" Grandine asked worriedly, perfectly aware of the consequences of his actions. After all, he was the one who had explained it to her every time she had been tempted to visit her daughter.

The king gave a pointed look to the dragon that had attacked the girl, the other shrinking back at his gaze.

"I had no choice. Another dragon, who need not be mentioned, attacked the girl for no reason. She was an innocent being; I could not allow one of our own to start a battle among the humans."

Staefer scoffed at Igneel's excuse. "Oh yes, you had no choice but to protect her. Heaven forbid a human be hurt on_ your_ watch."

Igneel's eye twitched at the subtle insult. He had always been known to be a human-loving dragon, which was the source of some ridicule he received from some of his fellow dragons.

It was Metalicana who spoke next. The iron dragon usually remained quiet in meetings, not particularly interested in many of the subjects presented, but this was a strange occurrence to say the least, and it wasn't often his friend slipped up this way.

"I doubt Igneel meant any harm. He was simply trying to maintain the peace, for the good of the race." Although Metalicana was usually one to take a few harmless jabs at Igneel when he made a mistake, he was loyal to a fault and did not want the fire dragon to be scorned for his actions.

The crowded mulled over Metalicana's words. As he was seldom to speak, his words carried more weight in meetings, even more so, since he was one of the last living dragons who had a dragon slayer of their own.

"Igneel, just how much did you interact with the girl? You didn't actually _talk_ to her, did you?" Another concerned dragon asked.

"… Yes. I did talk to her." The crowd gasped once again, many of the leaders casting scornful gazes at the king. "It was a mistake, I understand. I should have ignored her when she approached me, and I acknowledge that I am in the wrong here. I gave into a weakness."

"What kind of human is ignorant enough to approach a dragon?"

"… It was his mate. She recognized me, and wanted to unite me with my son."

Whispers traveled across the room, everyone surprised that the boy had actually found his mate. Mates have profound effects on their partners, and can cause the slayers to become far more powerful. The threat that Natsu could present if he turned against the dragons was becoming far more substantial.

"So what you're saying Igneel, is that you have interacted with your son's mate, revealing the location of our safe haven to a mere human, only to have her tell Natsu where we are before he has proven himself loyal to us?" Staefer spoke calmly, but his voice was tainted with spite.

Igneel didn't respond.

Staefer projected his voice louder, taking this opportunity to address the masses.

"It is clear that Igneel is too close to this situation to act with good judgment. We must take desperate measures to assure our own safety."

The head dragons perked at his statement. "You have a suggestion, then?"

"As a matter of fact, I do." Staefer turned to face the leaders. "I suggest that we test the boy's loyalty. If he knows where we are, we should take every measure to push his limits. As the head of the party for the advancement of the dominance movement, I have all of the tools at my disposal to send dragons that will create obstacles for the young slayer. If he remains pure despite the hardships we present, we will have no qualms with letting him come and meet his father."

Igneel's eyes widened. "N-No! The members of your party are extremists! They will not hesitate to kill Natsu! We should find another way-"

"We don't have time to think of another way, Igneel! Besides, does it really matter if the boy dies? He is treading on our territory after he was warned not to come. As long as he perishes with a pure heart, doesn't that mean that the entire slayer movement was a success? He will have never hated anyone. His existence will serve as proof that humans are a race worth preserving."

Igneel racked his brain for a response, trying to find a way to stand up for his son's safety.

"Come on Igneel, let us test the boy. Don't you trust him?"

A hum of agreement resounded through the crowd. Even the dragons that initially supported Igneel's cause were swayed by Staefer's suggestion.

Igneel had lost the support of his followers.

He knew what he had to do.

"… I do trust Natsu. He will not give into your temptations. I will allow you to test my son on two conditions. First, you will avoid killing him at all costs. You will only attempt to take his life if he tries to take yours. Only act in self-defense. Secondly, you must not involve other human beings. This is between our race and him, no one else. If you attack innocent civilians and start a war between our races, this entire notion will be disregarded and any dragons involved will be exiled. Is that clear?"

Staefer bowed down respectfully, a victorious smirk on his lips.

"Of course, my king."

As the dragons left the meeting hall to discuss their plans, Igneel looked to Metalicana and Grandine with a heavy heart.

_Natsu… please stay safe._

8 AM, and the train finally pulled into the station. Lucy pulled Natsu off of the train, the boy wearing a giddy grin on his green face. She couldn't help but blush, knowing that she was the one who put that smile on his face.

As Natsu gained his composure, Lucy set her sight on the mountain.

_Here we are again…_

Natsu must have seen her staring, as he straightened up and pulled her closer to him.

"Lucy… Let's get settled first. You need to eat something."

She frowned as she heard the concern in his voice; he was still worried about her condition. He had been taken aback by her confession of how unwell she was last night, and she had no doubt he was going to do everything in his power to make her better. She just hoped he didn't feel guilty. Knowing him, he would try and find a way to blame himself for all of this.

So, with a spring in her step, Lucy happily agreed to get breakfast.

The girl said nothing as they traveled down the road, Happy lazily flying low to the ground in his sleepy state and Natsu yelling at the larks for being rudely noisy. She was a bit lost in thought, shivering slightly as the dewy grass brushed against her feet and enjoying the sensation of the sun warming her skin.

_So this is love, huh…_

A lot had changed in such a short time. It was all very sudden and hasty, but it made her feel powerful. Yesterday she was sitting in her room, crying her eyes out because she was afraid of hurting Natsu, and now she was on cloud nine, having confessed and skipped town with the man she loved. She had the power to change her life and other people's lives with a snap decision or a few words. It was scary to think about, to be honest. She was still afraid she might mess up this beautiful relationship they had created.

Well, what she hoped would be a beautiful relationship.

A lot had changed, but for some reason, Lucy hadn't felt the change yet. Like she hadn't fully grasped her new relationship with Natsu. As if, this were only a dream and she would wake up soon to find Natsu not really in love with her at all. It hadn't hit her yet, and she knew it would eventually, so she was on edge, bracing for the weight of responsibility involved in being in a romantic relationship.

But… When she looked at Natsu, he still flashed her that same old cheeky grin that made her heart flutter and made her forget for a moment that this boy confessed to loving her. It made her head hurt thinking about it, but it also sent a wonderful heat to her chest.

"Waah, Natsu, Lucy, look! An all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet!" Happy cried, fluttering over to a nearby diner. "Do you think they have fish?!"

Lucy saw a wild glint sparkle in Natsu's eyes as he grabbed her hand and took off full-speed to the restaurant. They walked in the door, little bells chiming as they entered and Happy flying directly to the buffet to search for some seafood. Natsu flashed Lucy a smile, handing her a plate before grabbing his own. He got behind her in line, insisting that she fill her own plate before he filled his.

She wanted to tell him that he shouldn't worry and that she felt fine, but she also knew that he wouldn't listen to that, so she obediently piled eggs and waffles on her plate while Natsu watched her out of the corner of his eye. She smiled as they sat down in the booth and he began stuffing his face heartily.

_Same old Natsu…_

Lucy decided that she would make a big show of eating, just to ease his mind. With loud chewing and exaggerated exclamations of 'yum!' and 'more please!' Lucy crammed the plateful of food down her throat. With stuffed cheeks, she gave him a chuffy smile.

She found him looking at her with a curious smirk on his lips. He brushed off his mouth with the back of his hand, which Lucy found oddly cute.

"You trying to one-up me, Lucy?" The boy teased, rolling up his single sleeve. "Heh, well you can't eat more than me!" He proclaimed, giving Lucy a winning smile.

"Is that a challenge?" She spoke, narrowing her eyes on the boy. Perhaps it was a fool's choice to challenge Natsu to an eating contest, but right now, she didn't care about being the fool.

She just wanted to have a little fun.

With Happy appointed as the unofficial referee, the mages devoured whatever they could get their hands on, Natsu speeding ahead and leaving her in the dust. As he downed his sixth or seventh plate (she had lost count), Natsu declared himself the winner.

"Hah, I win! Natsu Dragneel takes gold again!"

Lucy gave a slight chuckle before an uncomfortable frown fixated on her lips. She sunk back into her seat with a small groan.

"Natsu, Lucy doesn't look so good." Happy said with concern, gaining the boy's immediate attention.

The boy frowned, leaning forward to take a good look at her face. "Oi, don't tell me those few plates were too much for ya, Lucy!"

"N-Nah, I'm fine! It's just… I haven't eaten that much in a while is all."

She didn't want to admit to Natsu that her stomach had shrunk over the past few weeks, but she couldn't hide how bad her stomach was hurting.

Natsu kept his eye on her as he asked for the check, paying the bill and leaving a nice tip. He casually slipped her hand into his, slowing his pace so she didn't have to try and keep up with him. They walked leisurely for a moment, making their way back to the hotel they had stayed at when they had come here a few weeks before.

The trio approached the counter, Lucy taking in the decor as Natsu spoke to the lady at the front desk.

"Ah, welcome back! You three were here not too long ago, am I right? Would you like two rooms, conjoined again?"

Without thinking, Lucy blurted out "One single, actually."

"O-One?" Natsu stuttered, looking at Lucy in bewilderment.

The blonde's cheeks went blood red, her eyes locking with the ground as she continued sheepishly. "Y-Yeah… One room, please…"

The clerk looked between the two of them curiously, almost teasingly. "And, would that be two single beds or one queen?"

The couple stiffened immediately, both looking to each other awkwardly.

Before either of them could speak, Happy chimed in confidently, "One queen!"

"Happy!" The two cried out in unison, their faces red. The clerk lady giggled for a moment at their display and promptly gave Happy the key. He zoomed off, flying down the hall and cackling loudly at the embarrassed couple.

"Get back here!" Natsu shouted, Lucy ambling to keep up.

Natsu and Lucy kept their distance as they ran along the halls, trying to catch up with Happy.

_Now we have to sleep in the same bed. Unless Natsu sleeps on the couch. No, no I can't make him do that. He probably wouldn't try anything on our first night together…_

She stumbled, letting Natsu catch her arm to steady her without a word. She couldn't look at him.

_Do I __**want **__him to try something?!_

Lucy pushed those thoughts away as the two found Happy hovering outside their door, waiting for them.

"Your faces are really red, you guys. Maybe I should leave you alone more often~" Happy purred, giggling into his little paw.

"We're only red because we had to chase you to the room!" Natsu pouted, crossing his arms to mask up embarrassment with aggravation.

They entered the room, all three of them gasping in awe.

"This bed is huge!" Natsu said, flopping over comically on the cushy sheets. Lucy laughed at him and sat on the edge of the bed, bouncing slightly as she sat down.

_Springy…_

"Hey Lucy, you should take a nap." Natsu told her, sitting upright to face her. She waved her hand at him.

"If anyone needs a nap, it's you. You stayed up all night." She said matter-o-factly. He shook his head stubbornly.

"Nah, I'm not even tired." He said, despite the little gray shadows under his eyes. Happy fluttered over to the pair and settled on Lucy's lap, purring excessively loud as Lucy petted him.

"Neh~ Lucy likes me more than you, Natsu~" Happy teased as Lucy scratched behind his ears.

"That's 'cause you're a cat, Happy. She can't pet me!"

_I beg to differ._

She immediately slapped that thought out of her head while Happy started speaking again.

"You both look really tired; you should take a nap together!" Both teens blushed vividly. They both knew that they would have to sleep in the same bed, but it was different when Happy said it out loud.

"Don't worry! I'll wake you guys up in a few hours!"

Eventually the couple both agreed that they needed sleep, curling up on either end of the spacious bed. The physical distance between the two felt like they were miles apart. Lucy didn't want him to think she was shutting him out, but she wasn't sure how to initiate cuddling with him either.

An awkward silence filled the room, looming over the couple in particular. Lucy kept her back to the boy, curling up tightly on her left side. She wasn't quite sure what he was doing, but she guessed he was in the same position as well.

"You guys are stupid." Happy stated bluntly.

Natsu flew up, his face and neck tinted red. "Sh-Shut up, Happy! It's… It's just a really big bed is all!"

"You guys didn't have any trouble cuddling last week on the couch."

"This is ridiculous! I just want sleep!" The boy pouted, throwing himself back under the sheets violently.

The cat sighed in defeat, curling up on the couch and quickly drifting to sleep. The room was silent again, only the sound of their breathing audible. Lucy let her gaze rest on the floor, a sense of loneliness and disappointment quickly settling in her heart. She let out a heavy sigh, pulling the sheets closer to her face as she lay stranded on her edge of the bed.

Before she could get settled, a shift of weight on the bed caused Lucy to slide to the middle, bringing her face to face with Natsu. His eyes bored into hers, his face blank as he studied her appearance.

He gave a soft smile as he raised the sheet into the air with his right arm, giving her ample room to curl up next to him. It seemed he was just as displeased with the idea of sleeping so far away from each other as she was.

She felt a calming warmth erase any uncomfortable feelings that had snuck into her heart as she crawled up against his chest, his arm enclosing her in his embrace as she breathed in his scent. He smelled like ash, subtle remnants of freshly cut wood lingering in his aroma. It sounded like it would be an acquired taste, but it was surprisingly intoxicating.

"Lucy, are you smelling me?"

The girl blushed bright red, suddenly feeling the need to shrink away in embarrassment.

"… You smell like summer." The boy put simply, pulling her deeper into his embrace. "…It's really nice…"

Her embarrassed blush transformed into one of pleasure. Natsu always knew exactly what to say to make her feel better.

She snuggled in closer to his embrace, letting out a contented sigh as an unconscious smile crept onto her lips. "Neh… Natsu, what're you thinking about?"

The boy paused before answering, "Well, you I guess… I'm really glad that you came with me, Lucy."

She smiled broadly; he could be really cute sometimes without meaning to.

"Me too… I'm glad too…"

He squeezed her tighter before loosening his grip, resting his head in her hair. She felt her eyelids drooping as she sank deeper into the mattress.

"…I love you, Natsu…" She mumbled sleepily into his chest, drifting off to sleep as he laid a soft kiss in her hair.


	18. Chapter 18

Natsu had been having a good dream when Happy woke him up.

"Natsu! Enough dreaming! Lucy says she wants to kiss you!"

The boy shot up immediately to find the cat giggling madly in his lap. He looked to Lucy, who was still fast asleep by his side.

"Happy! That was a dirty trick!" Natsu scolded, crossing his arms over his chest.

"But it worked didn't it? Ah, but it was kind of sad to wake you up, you two looked so cute all snuggled up together!"

"Hey!" Natsu yelped, throwing a pillow at Happy. He flew away to perch on Lucy's sleeping form. Natsu looked at her for a moment, taking in her parted lips and the way the smooth skin of her face curved.

"Lucy is pretty when she's asleep, huh?" Natsu asked to no one in particular.

"Fu fu fu… You guys slept for a long time, it's almost five o'clock."

Natsu whirled around to look outside. The sun was starting to descend; Happy had let them sleep the whole day away! He decided that wasn't necessarily a bad thing though. His partners needed rest after all, and admittedly, he did too.

His eyes widened abruptly.

"Happy! We slept through lunch!" He exclaimed. Happy gasped.

"Maybe the hotel buffet is still open!" Happy said, scrambling towards the door. Natsu made a move to get up as well before his attention was brought back to the sleeping girl beside him, curling up against his leg in search of his fading warmth. He smiled involuntarily, patting her head lovingly.

"Should we leave Lucy here? I don't wanna wake her up." Natsu confessed to his cat friend. Happy scratched his head in thought. "I don't know… If her stomach is still hurting, she wouldn't want to eat with us."

Natsu frowned as he was reminded of Lucy's stomach ache. She hadn't even eaten a lot, but it was still too much for her.

_I shouldn't be pushing her so hard…_

"Mm… Natsu…" Lucy's sleepy voice traveled across the room. Her eyes fluttered opened, and for a moment she looked somewhat confused until her eyes settled on him and she realized where she was. Her eyes went soft as a tiny smile danced on her lips.

"'Morning sleepy-head!" Natsu said, cheerfully ruffling her hair. She playfully swatted away his hand with a lopsided grin and sat up.

"Quit that Natsu, my hair is already a mess." She told him half-heartedly. As if she really cared if Natsu saw what she looked like straight out of bed. "What time is it…?" She said, standing up and looking out the window with a puzzled expression.

"Almost five!" Happy replied.

Natsu spotted Lucy frowning as she set her eyes on the mountain. He walked over beside her, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about the mountain, Lucy. Are you nervous about meeting Igneel?" He asked her. She laughed suddenly, not expecting him to say that.

"No, no it's not that. It's just… Never mind, let's go now!" She said, a determined grin settling on her face.

Natsu felt like he should press her to open up with her feelings, but he couldn't make himself do it. But then again, it was so obvious that she was worried about something…

After one lousy, lukewarm lunch from the hotel buffet, the team packed up their gear and headed up the mountain

"Neh, Lucy, how much longer?" Happy whined, dropping low to the ground for emphasis.

Lucy didn't look down to him, keeping her eyes on the trail as she spoke bluntly. "Not long."

Lucy led the way up the trail she had taken, uncharacteristically quiet for reasons unknown to Natsu. Perhaps she was just concentrating, but Natsu felt as if this wasn't the case.

He wanted to say something, but she had already told him that everything was okay. He had brushed it off earlier, but her demeanor was only getting heavier as she got closer to their destination.

He was about to confront her about it, but Lucy stopped in her tracks.

"This is it." Lucy said flatly as they reached a small valley. She stood in silence as she looked down at the area, making Natsu very uneasy.

"Hey… Is something-"

Natsu froze. His eyes widened in horror as he set his sights on the mangled landscape. The ground looked turned over, patches of black dirt ripped from the ground. Natsu's breath caught in his throat seeing the mangled rock wall across the clearing. It was spotted with deep scrapes and cuts. Without thinking, Natsu took off across the field to examine the wall, jumping over piles of earth in the minefield-esque landscape.

As he got closer, he could recognize small remnants of dried blood on the rocks, as if someone had been slammed against them.

_What in the world happened when she met him?_

He seethed silently as Lucy and Happy caught up to them.

"Natsu, why did you-" She started, before Natsu quickly grasped her hand and pulled her closer to him protectively.

"Lucy… I had no idea… I had no idea it was this bad…"

He felt her form slump, as if something heavy had been placed on her shoulders. She slowly snaked her arms around his waist, leaning against his chest for support.

"What happened here, Lucy? You said you met Igneel… This looks like a battlefield."

She took in a shaky breath as she pushed her forehead against his chest, keeping her face hidden from him as she spoke in a soft whisper.

"...I just crawled down here because I thought I might find something, but… There was a dragon…"

Natsu gasped as he jumped back, doing everything he could to keep reality from sweeping him off his feet.

She was attacked.

"A-A dragon?! Lucy, a dragon attacked you?! How did you get away?!" Happy cried, grabbing onto her boot as he looked up to her.

She gulped quietly, rubbing her arm nervously as she averted their gazes. "W-well… When I saw it, I froze. I didn't know what to do… The dragon started coming closer to me, and that's when Igneel came down. The other dragon spun around to fight him… His tail knocked me against the wall over there. That's how I got all the scrapes on my back."

Natsu's head spun around to look at the wall again. His throat tightened at the realization that it was her blood crusting on the rocks.

_Is that why she's been so quiet?… Has she been afraid to come back here…?_

"Lucy…"

"Natsu, really, I'm okay now." She assured him, waving her hands in front of her body. He shook his head.

"Were you scared…?" He asked softly. He could punch himself for not knowing about this, for not being here to protect her.

"... To be honest...I didn't think I was going to make it back..." She murmured, her voice hesitant.

Natsu stiffened. What would he have done if she didn't come back? He wouldn't have suspected she was missing till late in the day, when he realized he couldn't clearly smell her from the room over. Happy would start crying… And he would have to scour the town looking for her, never knowing she was on the mountain…

"You could've died… I could've lost you, Lucy."

"...I know... I'm sorry." He felt her wrap her arms around him tightly, trying to assure him that she was safe now no doubt. But he couldn't help but feel responsible for this.

"Lu…"

"But I'm okay now, Natsu! There's no need to worry about me anymore!" She smiled. He huffed as her arms untangled themselves from around him. The boy kicked a nearby rock, knowing fully that it would be impossible for him to stop worrying about her. Especially not after she was attacked by a dragon.

"Damn dragons…" He muttered under his breath.

"Nope!"

He turned around to see Lucy holding her arms in front of her face, making an X shape.

"You're forbidden from saying things like that!" She said sternly. "You have to stay pure, remember? Or else the dragons will attack."

If this were anyone else telling him this, he would've found it ridiculous.

"Well, what am I supposed to do Lucy? That dragon could have taken you away from me! If Igneel hadn't shown up…"

His voice trailed off as he mentioned his father. He looked up to the sky, setting his sights toward the mountain's peak. He felt Lucy slip her hand into his, squeezing it tightly in an attempt to keep his thoughts grounded.

"How are we gunna get up there…?" The boy mumbled to no one in particular.

As his eyes remained on the peak, he thought he saw something move. He squinted, trying to focus on a shadow appearing from above the clouds.

"Natsu… What is that?"

The small shadow was slowly joined by many others, the ground beginning to shake beneath them. One of the shadows burst through the cloud, gravity pulling the figure down towards them.

'R-Rockslide!" Natsu screamed involuntarily, grabbing Lucy's wrist and pulling her out of the boulders' paths of descent.

The rocks began hitting the ground one by one, all of various shapes and sizes. Natsu's heightened senses allowed him to dodge the rocks before they hit, keeping Lucy as close to his body as . Right. Right. Left. As the last few rocks began hitting the ground, he thought they were safe.

_Crunch_.

A sharp cry filled the air, sending shivers down Natsu's spine. He spun around, his eyes setting on Lucy, fearing the worse. As her eyes locked onto him as well, he felt his heart drop into his stomach.

"H-Happy!" They both cried in unison, sprinting to where the little cat lay. The rocks stopped falling, and an unfamiliar voice rang from atop the mountain.

"For Staefer!"

The boy didn't have time to think about what was going on. He dropped to his knees and pushed a small boulder off of his friend. The cat wailed loudly, Lucy swooping him up in her arms.

"Happy! Happy are you okay?!" The boy screamed, his voice cracking. He touched his friend lightly, only making the cat scream louder.

"M-My tail! My tail! It hurts!"

Lucy brushed the Exceed's face as she shushed him softly, as a mother would when her child got hurt. Natsu looked at Happy's tail, biting his lip as he saw how banged up it was. Luckily it didn't seem as though any other part of him had been hurt.

"N-Natsu… I think I can see the light… it's up there, in the sky…" The cat said, extending his little paw up in the air.

"Happy that's the sun!"

"Ah. N-Nevermind then." The cat giggled pathetically, trying his hardest to keep his usual demeanor.

"L-Lucy! Lucy we have to get him to a doctor!" The boy wailed, his eyes panicked.

"Natsu, Happy is a cat! We take him to the vet!"

"Whatever! Let's just go!"

Happy sat on the examination table, sniffling slightly as the vet wrote down a few observations on her clipboard.

"Am I gunna die, miss vet lady?" Happy asked, big tears welling up in his eyes. She gave the cat a small smile and patted his head.

"Of course not. You've just broken your tail. Although, I would like to examine your vocal chords…" She said with a slightly evil tone to her voice.

Natsu scowled at the woman, not overly-pleased with her small joke.

"Now, I am going to have to try and set your injury so it can heal properly, but I'm going to need one of your friend's help." The vet waved them over, Lucy stepping back as Natsu eagerly stepped up to the table.

"So, what do I do?" Natsu asked inquisitively, not quite sure how to help set a broken bone.

"I just need you to hold him still. This is going to hurt quite a bit, and I want you to make sure he doesn't jump away."

Natsu frowned as he tucked Happy into his embrace, dreading the idea of hurting him, even if it was for his own good.

"I want you to dig into Natsu if it hurts, Happy. If you try to pull away, it will make it worse." The vet warned as she placed her hand next to his tail.

"O-okay…"

"Are you ready?"

Natsu bit his lip as he tried to psych himself up for this as well. He felt Lucy place her hand on his shoulder, laying the other on Happy's head.

"Yeah… I'm ready…" Happy stated shakily.

The vet took her hand and began pulling down Happy's tail, straightening it out slowly.

"W-WAAHH!" Happy wailed at the top of his lungs, pulling on Natsu's shirt and piercing his skin with his little claws.

Natsu tightened his grip, clenching his eyes shut as the sound of his friends painful screams echoed in his ears. He felt Lucy dig her forehead into his shoulder, her arm wrapping tighter around him as well.

"Owie Owie Owieeeeee!" Happy wailed again as the vet finished, the woman quickly taping two splints on both sides of his tail. Her work was swift and clean, and she was obviously well experienced.

"Okay, all done." She chimed calmly, touching the cat's back.

The team heaved a sigh of relief, Natsu and Lucy both petting the cat as he wiped away a few tears.

"Can-Can I have a fish…?" Happy sniffled.

"Of course, the biggest one we can find." Lucy cooed, rubbing his forehead with her thumb.

"You were really brave, Happy." Natsu smiled as he rubbed the exceed's back.

Happy flashed a cheeky grin at the couple."Y-Ya think so?"

"Aye!"

Natsu heard the vet sniffle a little too. "Hey, why are you upset?"

The woman shook her head, giving a small smile. "I'm just not used to my patients crying out like that… Most animals don't talk, you know."

Happy turned around and wobbled over to her, trying to keep his banged up tail from hitting the table. "No, you did a good job! It doesn't hurt to move as much!" He said, giving her a thumbs up. She giggled into her hand and patted his head, touched by his words.

"So can we take Happy back?" Natsu asked, jumping off the table and standing next to Lucy.

"Actually, I'd like to have him stay overnight, he shouldn't be moving."

"H-Happy can't stay here! You'll put him in a cage like some sort of animal!" Natsu exclaimed frantically.

"Well sir, he is a cat."

Lucy stepped in front of Natsu before he had a chance to argue with the vet.

"Natsu, let me deal with this." She whispered, touching his hand lightly.

"Look, we appreciate your help, but Happy will be fine with us. We would rather watch over him ourselves."

The vet frowned, looking skeptically at Lucy. "Well… Alright. Just don't move him very much and put ice on it when he gets sore." She told her.

"Also, if you are ever get the chance, I would love for you to bring Happy back so I can examine him a little more. It's not everyday you get to operate on a talking cat." The woman said, slightly menacing.

"Now, if you and your boyfriend could sign out…"

"I'm not her boyfriend." He spoke quickly, emotionlessly, like he had that phrase memorized. Lucy shot him a bewildered look before Natsu realized his error.

"Oh, wait! Heh, yes I am!" He laughed, trying to mask his embarrassment at the fluke. How did he forget? Natsu supposed he just said it out of habit. It was kind of funny now that he thought about it, how often he had had to deny being Lucy's boyfriend before today.

The boy threw his arm around his girlfriend, smiling at the vet as he scooped up Happy and took his friends away from the animal hospital.

"Thanks, we're off!"

Back at the hotel, the team collapsed, thoroughly exhausted from their unsuccessful hike. Natsu went and gathered some ice as Lucy went over to the couch, making Happy a nice place to rest out of some extra-soft pillows they retrieved from the front desk.

"Wah, I wish Charla was here… I bet she'd make a great nurse~" Happy complained, taking a bite out of the rainbow trout the couple had bought him on the way home.

"Well I'm sorry, but it looks like you're stuck with me." Lucy teased playfully, scratching underneath the cat's neck.

"Well it's not so bad~ Now you have practice so you can be a sexy nurse for Natsu one day!" Happy taunted with a devilish smile.

Natsu stiffened at the cat's comment as the girl squealed, smacking her patient lightly across the face as hers turned bright red.

"Hey hey, I'm injured, be nice!" Happy whined. "Hey, do you think the chef would give me fish if I asked?"

"Even if he did, you can't move buddy." Natsu told him, sounding awfully like a doting parent.

"I'll be fine!" Happy waved off Natsu's warning heading towards the door.

"Happy, you should listen to Natsu." Lucy chimed in. The cat only waved her off too.

"If I don't fly then my tail won't move as much. Besides, you kids should enjoy yourselves on that nice bed~" He giggled madly before leaving, closing the door with a click, and leaving the two teens to steam silently in their own awkward atmosphere. Natsu couldn't look at her.

"I- I'm going to take a shower!" Lucy declared, standing up suddenly with a blush covering her face.

"Er, yeah, I'll be here." He told her, rubbing the back of his neck in an effort to seem less nervous.

_What do I have to be nervous about? Happy's dumb teasing has me all worked up…_

His acute hearing picked up Lucy's small hums coming from the bathroom, along with the sounds of her clothes hitting the floor…

Natsu immediately clapped his hands over his ears, his cheeks burning red.

_What in the world is going on? Am I supposed to just sit here and listen to her strip? Are we supposed to do something? _

He wondered if Lucy was thinking the same things. Maybe she knew what they were supposed to be doing, if anything. He wasn't sure. Natsu stared at the pure white bed sheets, folding and unfolding his hands in his lap.

_Maybe she'll kiss me._ Natsu thought, a goofy grin coming to his face imagining that. What more could he ask for? As Lucy began singing in the shower, he closed his eyes and started to dream of Lucy's lips on his in this oversized bed. He quickly decided that her singing was awful, but he liked it. It reminded him that Lucy was a person too. Sometimes she just seemed too perfect for him, but in times like these, when Lucy couldn't even hit a high C, he felt like he was more on her level. And soon, Natsu forgot about finding Igneel and Happy's banged up tail, peacefully getting lost in the sound of Lucy's voice.


	19. Chapter 19

This chapter was hard to write. I mean, we got it done at normal speed but we kept getting weirdly sleepy... So I highly recommend reading this particular chapter before bed.

* * *

Lucy's heart hammered painfully in her chest as she stood, naked, in front of the bathroom mirror. She sighed deeply, wiping away the fog on the glass.

Natsu was right outside that door, waiting for her to come out. Just him and her, alone, sitting on an oversized bed…

"Bad Lucy, you know he doesn't have those kinds of thoughts in his head!" She scolded herself softly. But despite all of her own warnings, Lucy preened and prettied herself to no end, never fully satisfied with her efforts.

She looked over to her bag of clothes, riffling through her options for pajamas. She knew she really shouldn't, but she kept Natsu's opinion in mind as she catered to her appearance, wondering if he would like these pair of shorts with that shirt.

Lucy chuckled to herself after a while, knowing that Natsu wouldn't care if she came out of the bathroom dressed like a pixie. He really did love her for her… but something about the fact that Natsu wasn't expecting anything from her made her want to give him something to remember.

The girl was lost in a daydream for a moment, clutching a towel to her chest. She smiled, going back to her bags.

_Should I wear underwear…?_

She promptly smacked her forehead.

_Idiot! Of course you have to wear underwear!_

Lucy glanced at the awfully suggestive lingerie in her bag, imagining Natsu gawking at her. A blush spread quickly across her cheeks.

_This is only the first day we've been together after all… Sex shouldn't be the first thing on my mind._

Her chest tightened as scenarios of Natsu pinning her against the giant bed and making her squeal repeatedly played in her mind. It was a little different in every scenario. Sometimes she was squealing, sometimes screaming, other times not even on the bed…

She gulped audibly, looking at her nervous expression in the mirror and willing those fantasies away as a dull, throbbing ache grew between her legs.

Lucy dressed quickly and brushed out her hair, pacing the bathroom in a rectangle trying to figure out her battle plan. She convinced herself that if she stayed idle, she might accidentally pounce on Natsu and do something she'd regret. So for now, pacing was ideal.

After she'd calmed down some, Lucy stepped out of the bathroom, feeling the rough, maroon colored Berber carpet under her toes. Her eyes locked on Natsu, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed, looking dazed.

The girl ventured out towards the bed, like she was walking on eggshells, hyper aware of her steps and posture. It was little relief to her that Natsu didn't seem to notice her yet. She sat down on the edge of the mattress, one leg dangling off the side as she twirled her yellow hair in her fingers.

After a moment, Natsu bolted upright, looking at her in either confusion or surprise. Possibly both.

"Lucy, you smell different." He put bluntly. Lucy gathered herself up onto the bed to face him.

"Er, yeah, I put on some perfume…" She squeaked out, looking away and hiding her face behind her hair.

"Oh…"

_I have to do something! This atmosphere is getting awkward…_

"You always smell good though." He mumbled, just loud enough for her to hear clearly as he played with the fringes on his scarf.

Lucy took a deep breath, momentarily knocked out of her nervousness by Natsu's off comment. It was kind of weird how he made her feel brave without meaning to; giving people hope was second-hand nature to Natsu, even if it was just as small as giving her the courage to try something with him…

Lucy crawled across the bed, sitting directly to the right of him.

"I-If you want… You can… Umm…" Lucy stuttered, pointing to the area from which the aroma was emanating

She heard Natsu gulp nervously as he turned and sat in front of her, the two of them now sitting Indian style and face to face. He leaned forward, brushing a stray bang behind her ear and taking a whiff of the girl's perfume.

"I-It's nice…" He mumbled slowly, his cheeks burning red. He frowned then, and Lucy was about to ask what was wrong before he pushed the stray lock of hair behind her ear again. It wouldn't stay in place, and he seemed frustrated by that trivial fact.

The look of innocent concentration on his face was angelic to say the least. He was completely entranced, his fingers gingerly dancing on her skin as he brushed the strand behind her ear again and again. She stared into his eyes that were fixated on the bang, the boy pursing his lip in concentration.

Lucy reached her hand up to meet Natsu's, holding it still against her cheek as his eyes met hers.

They lingered there for a moment, simply staring at each other, taking in the view. Lucy tilted her head slightly and tipped forward, Natsu's hand guiding her lips to his. Their lips just barely grazed each other's. They pulled away from each other, Lucy's eyes traveling to the white sheets as a brilliant warmth filled her chest. Natsu nervously scratched the side of his face as he spoke, just barely a whisper.

"S-So… Was that… Good?"

Lucy gave a hesitant nod, her eyes still locked on the sheets.

"...Can I do it again?"

The girl smiled and let out a soft chuckle as she looked the boy in the eyes, her cheeks tingling.

"Mhmm."

With more confidence, the boy leaned forward, placing one hand on the mattress to hold himself up as the other cupped her cheek, pressing their lips together in a deeper, more courageous kiss. Their lips parted for a moment, only to meet again after a short breath. She began to move her head in time with his, letting her lips meet every inch of his own.

_This kiss… It's different than the ones we shared last night. The others were desperate… They were in the heat of the moment… But this one is different. There is only this kiss… This moment… I could stay here forever._

As Natsu pulled back, still remaining in her airspace, but not close enough to touch her lips, Lucy grabbed his scarf as she allowed herself to fall back, pulling him with her until he was sitting on top of her, straddling her hips.

"Whoa." He breathed. She giggled at his reaction, pulling him towards her lips again, but before she kissed him, she paused, her eyes locking on his mouth.

"Can… Can you say it again?" She whispered softly.

The boy frowned. "Say what?"

"... That you love me."

Natsu's frown slowly transformed into a smile, the boy leaning forward and balling both of his hands in her hair. He gingerly kissed her temple, leaning closer to her ear so she could hear him clearly.

"I love you, Lucy."

The blonde's heart swelled as a dumb giggle escaped from between her uncontrollable smile. She bit her lip in satisfaction as she squirmed slightly beneath him.

"I love you too."

The boy stared at her face, entranced by her lovesick appearance. As she studied his expression, she slowly lifted up her hands and traced his jawline with the tips of her fingers.

She felt him shudder, and then bring his face to her neck, placing soft, tiny kisses on her skin. As she let out small giggles of delight, she could feel him smiling. She closed her eyes, all of her attention focusing on where his lips touched when a strange sensation traveled in a small circle between where his lips were placed.

He was licking her.

As the realization hit her, she flinched, causing the boy to frown and pull back. He gave her a worried look before his eyes traveled nervously away from hers.

"S-Sorry… That was bad…?"

Lucy shook her head, laying her hand on the back of his head as she pulled his face back against her neck. "No… No, I like that."

She felt the boy let out a shaky sigh of relief against her skin as he continued tracing small patterns with his tongue, pressing down with his lips for emphasis as he traveled away from one spot to another.

He made his way to her face, gently licking the side of her mouth with the very tip of his tongue. As if on instinct, Lucy hesitantly stuck the very end of her tongue out from between her lips, barely grazing his lips with the tip.

The boy's eyes flew open as he pulled back, touching his finger to where her tongue had touched his mouth.

A disappointed frown formed on the girl's lips. "Natsu, didn't that feel good?"

The slayer looked down, scowling slightly as if he was contemplating whether he _did_ like it or not. After a moment, he must have decided he needed to try again to know for sure as he leaned back into her air space and placed his lips softly on hers. His tongue poked out gingerly in time with hers, trying to mimic what she had done. When the two touched, the mages giggled stupidly, testing the waters as they began pushing deeper into each other's mouths.

Lucy let her fingers run through Natsu's hair, drawing a deep moan from the boy's chest. Their movements were becoming more fluid as the couple got a better feel for what they were doing, the dull ache between her legs growing stronger.

_How far is this going to go?_

Her breaths were slowly becoming labored as his moans began growing deeper and deeper still. As she felt herself slowly giving into her arousal, the door flew open.

"Natsu, Lucy, the chef gave me a fi-"

"Waaah, what are you doing?!"

The couple flung away from each other, both taking in gasps of surprise and a need for air.

"H-Happy! Get out!" Natsu stuttered. Happy shook his head, not looking embarrassed in the slightest.

"No, my tail hurts, I wanna lay down." The cat told them. Lucy looked to Natsu, having a silent conversation about letting Happy rest for now and then strangling him later.

They both sighed, Lucy getting off the bed to scoop Happy into her arms with a dainty smile on her face. She brought Happy to his spot on the couch, leaning in close to whisper in his ear,

"I will get you for this."

Happy looked up at her in fear, gulping audibly. Natsu tossed a blanket on his friend and scratched behind his ears, and the cat's momentary alarm was soon forgotten.

"Natsu~ That fish made me sleepy..." The cat said, rubbing his droopy eyes. Natsu smiled and patted his head.

"I bet it did. G'night Happy."

And with that, Natsu turned the light off and the two fumbled to get back on the bed. She touched his hand, looking at him in the dark. There was still a lot of unresolved sexual tension floating in the air, but Lucy knew they couldn't try anything with Happy sleeping six feet away.

She sighed as Natsu kissed her forehead and guided her hands around him so they could lie down. She snuggled close to his chest, leaching his brilliantly warm body heat.

Lucy was reminded of the time when she fell under that exhaustion spell and Natsu stayed awake with her all night. They were drunk off insomnia and things started to go farther than she thought. But like on this night, she and Natsu were interrupted by something.

_That was also the first time he kissed me_. She thought, a small smile coming to her face. Lucy was knocked out of nostalgia when Natsu dug his face into her shoulder. She drew small, sweeping circles on his back, taking in a sense of pride when she felt his muscles relax at her touch.

The boy smiled on her skin as he pulled his face back, trying to get a good look at hers. His eyes were soft, accompanied by a satisfied grin. Again, that stray bang fell from behind her ear, Natsu's small battle with the strand continuing. Lucy closed her eyes, letting his touch lull her into a sleepy state.

"Hey, don't fall asleep now, my darling angel face cake lips~" The boy teased her with a dumb pet name, as he had done on their fake date a few weeks back.

"Oh don't you dare start that again!" She grinned, chuckling at how silly they had acted that day.

"No way, I'm bringin' it back!" The boy teased her, sticking his tongue out at her playfully.

"We should've just gotten together back then!" She giggled. Lucy stopped, her smile slowly fading as her own words fully sunk in.

"Ah… I really should've told you back then… We would have probably found Igneel by now…"

Natsu frowned, pulling her closer to him as he kissed the bridge of her nose.

"No Lucy; everything is happening at just the right time."

She chuckled very softly, a bittersweet smile forming on her lips. She gulped, trying to keep down any tears, either of joy that they were together now or of sadness because she had made such a stupid decision. Her efforts failed though as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

"N-No Lucy, don't cry. It's okay. Don't feel guilty." He whispered to her, running his thumb over her cheek and wiping away her tears.

"I can't help it…" she smiled pathetically as she began tracing the lines of his collar bone.

The boy sighed, continuing to stroke her cheek softly. He cleared his throat and tipped her head back so she would look at him.

"Hush lil' Lucy, don't you cry. Natsu's gunna… Uh… Bake you an… a-apple pie…?" The boy sang to her awkwardly.

She tried to hold back any laughter from bubbling out of her chest.

"Your singing sucks, Natsu."

"Sh-Shaddup! I'm trying to make you feel better!" He pouted, his cheeks tinted red.

Lucy giggled, nuzzling up closer to him as he hugged her. He continued.

"But all jokes aside Lucy. You have nothing to feel guilty about."

She let out a heavy sigh. "Yes, I do…"

"Fine, name one thing you have to be guilty about."

The girl frowned, searching her mind for an example, but her mind came up blank. Every mistake she had made had resolved itself. Natsu wasn't upset or hurt by anything she had done over the past few weeks. Natsu raised an eyebrow at her.

"See, nothing to feel guilty about!" He chimed, flashing her one of his trademark grins.

Lucy bit her lip, upset that she still felt guilty without any reason. "That doesn't make me feel any better…"

The boy frowned as she tensed again. "...Don't carry around unnecessary burdens Lucy, it's not healthy." He told her. She didn't speak.

"You know Lucy, I feel guilty too."

Her head shot up to look at him, scowling as she saw his pained expression.

"What do you have to feel guilty about? You didn't do anything wrong!"

"...Yes I did. Lucy, I let all of this happen without even realizing you were suffering. I didn't know that you were hurting. I wasn't there to protect you when that dragon attacked you. I made you feel lonely… I scared you when you were at my house, and I made you think that I might hate you. That's plenty to feel guilty about."

"N-No Natsu! I let myself suffer! I was the one who didn't tell you! But now you're making me better! You took care of my injuries from when the dragon attacked me too. I don't feel lonely anymore, I don't feel scared, and I know you don't hate me! You don't have anything to feel guilty about." She exclaimed, her eyes boring into his.

The boy stared at her for a moment, letting her words sink in. He let out a shaky smile.

"Well now we're both feeling guilty for no reason. That's just stupid."

Lucy broke away from his gaze as she tried to hide her sad smile.

"Yeah, it is pretty stupid."

The boy's smile became more confident as he caught her gaze again.

"Well, let's just get rid of it then! I love you, and you love me, so that cancels out both of our guilt, right?!"

She laughed at his childish logic. "Natsu, I don't think it works that way!"

"Ok, well how about this? Every time ya feel guilty, you come and find me, and I'll make it better."

"And you'll do the same with me?" Lucy asked.

The boy smiled and nodded in agreement.

"And we'll sleep together every night. That way no one has a chance to feel guilty or alone." Lucy stated, her eyes filled with something hopeful.

The boy smiled at her suggestion. "You promise?"

The girl nodded, and he prodded again.

"Pinky promise?"

"Natsu, you're such an idiot!" The girl rolled her eyes as she locked her pinky in his. "Yes, I pinky promise!"

The couple stared at their interlocked fingers, letting the reality of their promise warm their hearts. Natsu pulled Lucy closer to him, kissing her lips softly to seal the deal. She let out a sleepy, contented sigh as she stared lovingly into his eyes.

"Neh, Natsu… Do we have anywhere to be tomorrow morning?"

"Um, no I don't think so."

"Can we sleep in, then?"

The boy grinned, a glint of excitement twinkling in his eyes. "Definitely."

Natsu squeezed her tightly before loosening his grip, slowly giving into sleep's temptation. She felt her eyelids drooping, her heart swelling as she realized when she woke up tomorrow, she was going to be lying next to him, having nothing to do but rest in his arms. Tomorrow was going to be a wonderful day, no doubt about it.

* * *

Do you feel sleepy? I do. We've been trying to highlight Natsu and Lucy's life after the love confession. Everything isn't all cream and peaches, and they still have stuff to sort out. So, if you guys have some input to share, you know what to do.


	20. Chapter 20

The morning sun began peeking through the curtains as the light shone into Natsu's eyes. He scowled at the annoying light, not bothering to open his eyes. He felt the girl next to him shift, mumbling something in her sleep. Natsu opened his eyes slowly, a satisfied smile coming to his lips as Lucy's face was the first thing he saw when he woke up. He decided that he liked these calm and innocent moments, where he could just watch Lucy's little movements and hear her even breathing. It was soothing.

"Na…"

"Hm?"

"Natsu…"

He grinned, realizing she was still asleep. Gingerly, he squeezed his arms around her, careful not to wake her. She quickly burrowed into his chest with a soft sigh.

Natsu told her they could sleep in today, but the sun was already high in the sky. Then again, absolutely nothing was motivating him to get up. His limbs felt heavy and his senses weren't as alert as they could be. He felt warm. Well, he was usually warm, but he really only ever _felt_ it when he was with Lucy.

He felt his eyes drooping; sleep sounded tempting. He yawned, lightly placing a kiss on Lucy's cheek before he snuggled into her hair.

For a few blissful moments, he was able to take in her scent and nothing else.

"Natsu, you look so cute~" Happy teased, trying to imitate Lucy's voice and hopping up on the bed. Natsu groaned. It was officially time to get up.

The cat crawled on all fours over to where Lucy lay, Natsu frowning as he saw his friend struggling to keep his tail up. He lifted Happy up and cradled him in one arm, laying back down and letting Happy get comfortable.

"Mmmm…" Lucy grumbled, her eyelashes fluttering open as her hands came up and rubbed her eyes. Natsu felt his heart stop as her eyes set on his, the sun radiating off of her golden locks that were sprawled across the pillow. She gave a soft smile as she let out a small giggle under her breath.

"Good morning, Lucy!" The boys chimed, drawing a wider smile from her lips.

"Hehe… Good morning guys…"

The girl's eyes traveled to Happy, a worried look in her eyes. She scratched behind the cat's ears, a purr resonating from his chest.

"Are you feeling okay, Happy?"

"A-Aye… Kinda." The cat replied, trying to be both truthful and cheerful at the same time. The air felt heavy knowing that Happy was hurt, but the fact that they were all together took the edge off of it. Having Lucy around really did make everything better.

He looked at the clock; it was half past eleven.

"The breakfast buffet is closed…" he mumbled under his breath, trying not to alert Happy to what would be considered an absolute disaster in his mind. He tried to push his hunger out of his thoughts for the time being, not wanting to have to get out of bed and find food, but his stomach voiced its demands in a loud rumble.

"Sometimes I think Natsu's stomach is louder than you, Lucy." Happy teased, receiving a small pinch from the girl in return.

"Do you guys want to go back to that diner again?" The blonde asked, sitting up and stretching her arms up high over her head before letting them rest atop the sheets.

His mind traveled back to the diner they had eaten at yesterday, deciding it would be a good idea to eat there again today, but something in the pit of his wallet (or lack thereof) was telling him that he needed to start watching what all they bought.

_This hotel is not cheap, and neither is the food. I brought all of the money I have, but if we eat out every day and sleep here every night, it isn't going to last very long. With Happy injured and the mountain as dangerous as it is, we could end up staying in this town for quite a while…_

Lucy frowned, picking up on his train of thought just as she always did. "I wonder if we could find somewhere cheaper to stay…"

"But this is the only hotel in the entire town of Sekura. This is a very small place, ya know." Happy stated, rolling out of Natsu's arms and into Lucy's lap.

Natsu's eyes wandered to the window, his mind trying to think of some sort of solution. Renting an apartment wouldn't be much of an improvement, especially considering that they didn't know if they'd be here long enough to get their money's worth. They could try and make enough money to stay here, but both of them would have to spend all of their time working in order to keep up with the costs.

As he continued to stare out at Mt. Sekura, a wild glint came to his eyes.

Natsu spun around, grabbing up Lucy's hands in his own, leaning in close with a wide grin on his face.

"Lucy, let's live in the forest!"

She blinked a few times, a puzzled expression on her face. "The forest?"

The boy jumped back, pointing out the window. "Yeah, Lucy! Living in a forest is great! You can see the stars, find your own food, and have campfires all the time! Plus, everything is free! We could set up camp every night, and live on the land, right there near the base of the mountain!"

Lucy looked at him skeptically, her eyes travelling between his and the window.

"So… We'll be homeless?"

"Not homeless, Lucy! Think of us as explorers… People who travel… The umm… Uh…"

"... The nomads?"

"Yeah! The nomads! A family of nomads, living on Mt. Sekura! Doesn't it sound fun?!" He exclaimed, sparkles practically flying out of his eyes. The idea of living with Lucy in a forest like the one where he had grown up thrilled him to no end.

"Yeah, Lucy! Come live in the forest with us~" Happy chimed, placing his little paws on her arms.

The celestial mage remained silent for a moment before speaking in a low tone.

"You know, if someone had told me a week ago that I was going to be living in a forest with you two as a family of nomads looking for dragons, I would have said they were crazy."

Natsu and Happy both looked to each other a nervous look.

The girl's skeptical frown slowly transformed into an excited smile.

"... But then again, every day with you guys is an adventure!" She said with enthusiasm, ruffling Happy's fur for emphasis. "What time do we leave?"

Happy cheered out gleefully, clapping his paws together in excitement as Natsu planted a spirited kiss on Lucy's lips. He flung the sheets back, hopping to his feet and racing to where their bags lay.

"Now!"

Lucy threw her head back and laughed, scooping Happy up in her arms as she stood upright.

"Okay, okay! Give me a few minutes to get ready!"

One shower and a buffet brunch later, the team had gathered their belongings and were on their way up the trail to Mt. Sekura.

Happy was put on Natsu's shoulders so he wouldn't have to move his tail, while Natsu and Lucy occasionally held hands. Instead of making their way onto the mountain, the trio explored the surrounding area, trying to get acquainted with the environment. Natsu found that this forest was similar to the one he had grown up in, but on a much smaller scale. The trees were large and tall, most of them having been around for at least a century based on their size. There was a deep river, the water clean and the fish abundant. Traces of wildlife were everywhere: fox holes, snake skins, deer tracks, and birds' nests. There were few, if any, signs of humans interacting with the environment, the dangerous conditions of the mountain probably discouraging any nature enthusiasts from making their way into the area. The untouched beauty of the forest was something Natsu could admire for a long time, and considering this place was going to be their home for who knows how long, it looked like he was going to get the chance to go sightseeing quite a bit.

_It makes sense that Igneel would live somewhere like this..._

As the sun began setting, the team travelled down the river bed in search of a place to set up camp. The trio settled for the night right on the edge of the river bed, Natsu catching a few fish to roast on the fire. The weather was good, so the team decided to lie out. Lucy said she wanted to see the stars.

It was quiet. The three of them were smooshed together on a blanket on the ground, watching the sky. Lucy had been excitedly showing the boys different constellations, but now they were silent, fully content enjoying each other's company under the stars.

"Hey Lucy…"

"Hm?"

"What do you think those guys meant when they yelled 'For Staefer!'? What's a Staefer, Lucy?"

"What are you talking about?" She asked. Natsu rolled onto his side, his arm acting as a pillow.

"You know, when that rockslide happened. Didn't you hear someone yell?"

"I think so…" Lucy said. Natsu hummed thoughtfully. He didn't like mysteries. He liked when things were straightforward and easy to grasp, and therefore punch.

"I wonder why those guys wanted to hurt us. We weren't doing anything wrong. I think those guys might be bad, Lucy." He confided, although it was more or less obvious.

"And they broke my tail!" Happy piped up, yelling at the sky.

With nothing else to discuss on the topic, the trio went back to stargazing, letting the thought of 'Staefer' drift from their minds.

Later on they ate dry food and laughed over a campfire, roasting marshmallows. It was on one incident that Happy accidentally got marshmallow stuck in his fur when he was in the middle of trying to tell a joke. Natsu wasn't sure how it happened, but his hand had landed suggestively on Lucy's thigh while Happy was loudly whining. She flinched at his sudden touch and their eyes met briefly, only to have them both look away in embarrassment.

"S-Sorry!" He piped up, emphatically wrenching his hand away from her and trying to pretend it was the fire's heat that was making his face warm.

"Natsu, I have to get this goopy stuff off, I'll be by the river." Happy said, hopping off the log and walking off till he was out of sight.

"I hope he'll be okay..." Lucy murmured worriedly.

"He'll be fine. He's a tough cat." Natsu reassured her. They were quiet for a moment, the dull roar of the river and sounds of the forest filling their ears, but despite that, Natsu felt the strong need to say something. He peeked a glance at Lucy, who was still blushing. Natsu sighed.

"I'm going to… Find some more firewood." He told her, not looking at the girl as he brushed off his pants.

"I'll- I'll go too!" She said quickly, rushing to his side. He raised an eyebrow at her sudden need to be next to him. Not that he minded so much, or at all.

"Something wrong?" He asked as they began walking through the dense forest. She shook her head.

"No, I just- It would be boring waiting for you and Happy to get back…" She mumbled. Natsu smiled, grabbing her hand.

"You could've just told me if you were lonely, you know." He whispered, blindly capturing her lips in the dark.

He couldn't see her very well, but something about the air was telling him that she wasn't smiling, putting a frown on his face.

"Oi, Lucy… You're not scared, are you?"

The way her muscles tensed gave him his answer.

He immediately lit his finger ablaze to illuminate her face, finding her jaw clenched and her neck tightened, her grip firm on his.

"L-Lucy, why are you scared?!" He exclaimed, pulling her closer to him and wrapping one arm around her tightly and using the other to keep the light source alive.

"I-It's stupid… I just… I didn't have a good experience the last time I was alone at night in the forest…"

He felt like slapping himself. Of course she doesn't want to be left alone in the forest, especially not after what had happened with the man on the dock barely a week before!

"Dammit Lucy, I'm so sorry! I didn't even think-"

"It's okay! It's stupid… I don't mind it during the day, but it's dark… And, well... I just… I'd rather stay with you..." She mumbled, wrapping herself around his arm.

Natsu bit his lip, wracking his brain for some way to make this better. As he looked up to the sky, he found an answer in the stars.

"Lucy, the stars are supposed to be where the celestial spirits are, right?"

The girl looked up to the sky and nodded.

"Well, here in this forest, the stars are can be seen from everywhere. You can see them from the river and even through the trees. When you were on the other mountain, the stars were hidden behind the clouds and the rain, but now the stars can see you, and they'll make keep you safe from their home in the skies." The boy squeezed her hand as he looked back down into her eyes and smiled.

"And I'll be sure to protect you from our home in the forest too, so you don't have to be worried! This is Mt. Sekura, after all. Doesn't sekura mean safe?"

Lucy sniffled, hugging him closely. "That's the silliest thing I've ever heard..." She laughed. "...Thank you."

She leaned in closer to him. "Now about when you touched my thigh…"

"Th-That was an accident!" The boy fumed, turning away, only to promptly smack his forehead on something hard. He stumbled backwards, falling flat on his butt.

"Are you okay?!" She asked, rushing up to him and trying to get a good look at his face.

"What the hell…" The boy mumbled, consuming his index finger in a decent-sized flame in order to illuminate the object in front of him.

"That's a really wide tree!"

"Natsu, that's a cabin."

"Ah." He stood up with Lucy's aid, taking a look at the old building. They walked around to the front and looked to each other.

"Natsu, we could be trespassing."

"Lucy, we're Fairy Tail mages. Do we really care?" He went for the door handle, not surprised to find it unlocked. The two cautiously stepped inside, Natsu making his flames brighter and illuminating the run down old shack.

"It looks abandoned." Natsu put simply, taking in the creaky floorboards and the layers of cobwebs layering the walls and furniture. He looked to Lucy, who hadn't spoken since they entered.

"Lucy?" She turned to him, and she had that look in her eyes. He'd seen it before when she was planning something, either in a mission or when she was writing. Natsu walked towards her.

"Natsu, if this place really is abandoned, no one would mind if we stayed here until we found Igneel, right?"

He stopped for a moment, taking in her words. "Lucy, you want us to live here?" He asked, sounding slightly skeptical.

"Well yeah, I mean, it's better than having to set up camp every day. What's the harm?" She told him. Natsu felt a smile coming to his face.

"That's great! We'll all live together, just like a family!" He saw her expression change from almost sad to joyful. She threw her arms around him and laughed.

She was mumbling happy things into his shirt, something like, 'Oh… Our first house…' He decided it was adorable, but they needed to get back to their camp.

"Hey, Lucy, we gotta go. Happy will be worried about us." He said, stubbornly pushing that one bang behind her ear.

"Can we come back tomorrow?"

"First thing in the morning!" He promised with a cheeky grin, the girl jumping up and kissing him without warning.

With that, the couple left their soon-to-be home to meet up with Happy, ready to spend a night under the stars and a future in a tiny wooden shack.

* * *

How would you guys feel about a lemon...?


	21. Chapter 21

Lucy woke up before the others, the song of the morning birds making for a lovely wake up call. She was able to maneuver herself out of the blanket without waking the boys, walking over to the river to splash some water on her face.

_That little shack… It kind of reminds me of Natsu's place. It's nowhere near as big, although his house isn't very big anyways. Not that I mind. I actually like living in smaller places. It feels as though I am closer to the people inside. It's cozier. Growing up in the mansion, I always felt so separated from everyone._

She turned her head to look in the direction of the cabin, eager to head that way.

"I'm so weird… Already wanting to make a home with him…" She mumbled under her breath, allowing a dumb smile to come to her lips.

As she leaned over and brought another splash of water to her face, she felt one of her earrings fall into the water.

"Kyaa! No, these are my favorite earrings!"

The girl waded deeper into the river, trying to catch her piece of jewelry before it got swept out of reach. As the water reached her hips, she decided it was a useless effort, but before she could get back to the shore, the current swept her under.

"Gah!"

She dug her heels into the river bed, trying to restore her balance, but the rocks kept on shifting beneath her. She tried to remain still as she had been taught, but every time her head bobbed above the water, she would swiftly be pulled back under again. Water was rushing into her lungs as she tried to catch her breath, and panic began setting in.

Suddenly, she felt herself being lifted out of the water and into the air, coughing up water as she tried to take in a deeper breath. As she was brought closer to edge, she was wrapped up in a pair of strong arms and rushed onto the shore.

"L-Lucy! Are you okay?! Lucy!" She looked up into the eyes of her rescuer, clutching him tightly despite the fact that there was a 0% chance he would drop her.

The boy gave her a second to catch her breath, still holding her close.

"Y-Yeah..." She stood on her own feet, wobbling slightly as Natsu steadied her.

"You can't go around drowning this early in the morning, ya weirdo!" The boy huffed, trying to catch his breath.

The girl puffed out her cheeks, folding her arms on her chest. "I didn't do it on purpose! I lost my earring!"

Happy flew over, falling into Natsu's arms with an oomph. "Natsu, I knew girls liked jewelry, but I didn't think they would risk their lives for it!"

"I didn't either!" Natsu exclaimed to the cat. Lucy sighed, holding her arms for warmth. Natsu turned back to her with a small smile.

"Well, I'm just glad you're okay. Ah, and you need to change your clothes, you're gonna freeze." He told her.

Lucy looked down at her clothes. She was soaked to the bone. Her clothes clung wetly to her skin, amplifying her curves and making her nipples stand out. A blush quickly sprung to her face, the girl throwing her arms around herself in an attempt to cover up.

As she looked up to Natsu, he didn't seem to notice her soaked body, placing Happy on the ground and making sure his tail was okay.

Lucy looked at him curiously, somewhat surprised by his lack of interest in her arousing appearance. She knew Natsu wasn't one to check out girls, but she was his girlfriend after all.

Throwing herself into an impromptu experiment, Lucy bundled up her hair in her hands, ringing out the water as she leaned forward slightly, giving the boy a good look at her cleavage.

"Oh yeah… I'm really wet." She said, putting subtle emphasis on the word wet. The girl blushed at her own actions, wondering if she was being too obvious, but Natsu only cocked his head at her, like her actions confused him. He took her hand and started leading her back to camp. She pouted.

_You have got to be kidding me, Natsu. A half-naked wet woman right in front of you and you don't even give me a blush._

She let the boy lead her back to camp, not saying much as she pondered more on what Natsu thought of her appearance. It's not as though Natsu was oblivious to her body; just last night, he had touched her thigh and gotten flustered, but it's not as though he was looking at her. Natsu could touch any girl and get bothered, but appearances were different. He would have to think she was special, that she was arousing.

But what was it that made Natsu tick?

As she got back to camp, Lucy searched through her bag for something dry. As she sifted through her belongings, she came across a loose-fitting belly-shirt that allowed her curves to accentuate themselves. It was a shirt she would wear when she wanted to feel sexy. She turned around to see Natsu happily munching on a fish with his blue companion, a contented smile on his lips.

_I wonder if he would like this…_

The blonde decided she was going to try and look sexy- well sexier than usual- today. She grabbed the sexy top along with a small jacket that would never fit around her bust and tiny shorts that peeked at her butt if she moved the right way. She threw on some of her sexier undergarments as well; even if he couldn't see them, they made her feel as though she was at the top of her game.

"You almost ready, Lucy?" The boy called out nonchalantly.

"Almost!" The blonde looked into her hand mirror one more time, making sure that one bang that drove him crazy was still too short to keep behind her ear. She took in a breath as she placed herself in front of him. When he blinked a few times, she was sure she had got him.

"Lucy… You do know it's winter, right?"

The girl frowned. "I-I know… I'm just… Kinda warm, is all."

The slayer shrugged, unfazed by her appearance. He picked up the now-packed bag filled with their belongings, Happy trying to find somewhere to stow another fish.

Lucy looked down at her garments, suddenly embarrassed by her choice of clothing. It's not as though she felt over-exposed, but something about the way Natsu hadn't responded to her actions the way she had wanted made her feel insecure in the outfit.

"Lucy, Happy, let's head to the shack! Now that the sun is out, we can get a good look at it."

_He wants to get a good look at the house?! Talk about irony…_

Instead of giving herself any pity, the girl decided to dig into a deeper sense of self-confidence and try to work the outfit using her natural appearance. She made sure to walk in front of Natsu sometimes and walk by his side at others, just to let him get a good view.

Her actions were warranted in her own mind. It's not that she felt obligated to sex, or being sexy for that matter. But she wanted to. There had been an odd need for fulfillment ever since the night before at the hotel. It was just something about the way he expected nothing from her and the way he was neither swayed nor stubborn against the appeal of her body that made her want to blow him out of the water with what she could do.

But so far, she was having no luck.

"Well, here it is!" Natsu chimed in, disrupting her thoughts.

The girl tucked her frustrations away when she spotted the small shack.

It looked rougher in the daytime, but it was bigger than she had initially thought. There were four windows, one on every wall, all broken. The door was slightly off its hinges and loose floorboards were a very real hazard, but as she looked to Natsu as he stood under a beam of light coming through a hole in the roof, studying the small one-room shack with pride in his eyes, she knew this was going to be the place they called home. She couldn't help but stare as he fondly smoothed his hands over the dusty, creaking cabinets with that little smile…

"Lucy, I like it here."

She gave a warm smile "I like it here too… although it does need a little work!"

The boy gave a slight chuckle.

"Yeah, we need to fix it up if we wanna stay here!" Natsu stated, clapping the dust off of his hands. "Let's go to town and buy some of the essentials!"

Lucy started jumping up and down in excitement. "Our first house, we're going to fix up our first house! We need curtains, green curtains to go over this window! And we need to put a couch right here! Ooh Ooh! We should put a bookshelf here and a rug-"

"Okay, okay! We'll work up to that point!" The boy laughed, amused by her enthusiasm. "For now, let's buy some wood to replace some of the rotten floor boards, a better bed, a small couch, and some other stuff to make sure this place is livable."

"Aye! Make sure to get everything for the kitchen! We can cook fish!" Happy chimed, already digging back into the bag for a morning snack. "I think I'll stay here though. I don't want to spend all day walking…"

The slayer nodded, patting Happy on the head.

"Well Lucy, looks like we're goin' at it alone!"

The girl blinked, an idea forming in her head.

_If Natsu is going to take me shopping… I could take him to a clothes store and try and find something he likes…_

A determined smile came to her face, the girl wiping it away to replace it with a less suspicious one. "While we're down there, I'm going to buy some clothes. I didn't realize how long we were going to be out here."

"Wahh, Natsu is going shopping with his girl~ " Happy teased as the couple walked out the door. "You two have fun!"

"Natsu, how does this one look?" Lucy asked in a flirty tone, spinning around slowly in yet another outfit.

"It's good… but how are ya gunna fight in it?" Natsu asked casually. He seemed very interested in the practicality of her clothes instead of how good they looked on her. Lucy noticed a couple of men, store clerks by the looks of them, openly ogling her from across the store. Her stomach twisted momentarily in disgust as she turned back to put on yet another outfit.

As she stripped off what had to have been at least the twentieth outfit today, she felt like screaming. Or maybe crying.

_Why won't he look at me…?_

She had tried on every style she could think of: short skirts and halter tops, leather jackets and thigh-high boots, skinny jeans and V-necks, even a floor length gown with a swoop back. Every type of arousing style she could think of she had experimented with, dropping the jaws of every man but hers, who wouldn't keep his eyes locked on her for more than a few seconds.

Feeling defeated and uncharacteristically insecure, Lucy emerged from the dressing room in the outfit she had arrived in, placing everything she had tried on in the female attendant's arms. All of the men who had been eyeing her had disappeared, and Natsu looked to her curiously.

"You're not gunna try on anything else?"

"...No, I'm done. You were right. None of these are fit for battle. Let's just go home." The girl said flatly, raising a questioning look from the boy.

"...You sure?"

Lucy sighed under her breath, trying not to clue Natsu into how frustrated she was. She forced a smile to her lips despite herself, trying to fake a happy demeanor.

"Yeah, I'm sure!"

The girl didn't speak much as they traveled up the mountain, summoning Taurus to assist her and Natsu lug their purchases to their house. She tried to shake the weight off her shoulders, knowing that this was supposed to be a happy day, but she wasn't doing a very good job. It was hard to be mad at him when he didn't actually do anything wrong. But was it wrong of her to want her man to look at her like she was attractive? She didn't think so, but it was frustrating nonetheless.

"Hey guys! What took so long?" Happy asked as he came outside to greet them.

"Lucy wanted to try on lots of clothes. She didn't find anything she wanted though." Natsu answered nonchalantly, setting down a bag of tools.

"Let's try and get as much work done as we can for today, okay?"

The next few hours were spent cleaning. Natsu and Happy groaned at the work, but Lucy was happy to move around and make progress on their little house. It was helping distract her, but her thoughts continued to travel as they worked through the beginnings of what was turning out to look like a long term project.

_I don't understand why I'm so upset by this… sure this was a blow to my ego, but it's not like me to dwell on stuff like this. Whenever my sex appeal fails, I usually shrug it off, but it's not working this time. Maybe it's because I actually care what Natsu thinks… This is really upsetting me..._

As they finished, Lucy's demeanor slumped once again. She threw on an oversized sweater and let her hair down, curling up with a blanket on a small couch they had bought. She opened up one of her favorite books and began reading while Natsu sat on the other edge of the couch, putting ice on Happy's tail.

A few chapters in, the boy tapped her foot with his own.

"Whatcha reading, Lucy?" He asked.

"Nothing really…" She replied in a bored tone. The boy didn't seem to notice.

Another moment of silence passed.

"...Lucy, you're really pretty."

Her head whipped up as she furiously slammed the book down on her lap, making Natsu flinch.

"Are you _serious_?!"

The boy scooted back a bit, raising his hands up defensively. "Woah, Lucy, what's wrong?! I just said you were pretty!"

She balled up her fists in the blanket before tossing it on the floor, flinging herself to her feet and stomping towards him.

"You moron! I've been trying to turn you on all day, and now you look at me?!" Lucy screamed, her frustration bursting out of her all at once. Natsu looked hurt at her words, and stood up slowly to meet her level.

"I know my sex appeal doesn't work very well on you, but I thought I could make you turn your head at least once." She looked to floor, her mouth forming a tight line as she fought off the strange urge to cry.

"Lucy, I thought you didn't like it when guys ogled you." He appeared genuinely dumbfounded.

"I don't like it when _other_ guys ogle me!" She snapped. "I wanted _you_ to do that, Natsu!" She felt tears welling up in her eyes. "I wanted you to think I was something special…"

"Lucy," He said in a low voice. She turned away from him, shaking her head.

"Lucy, look at me." Natsu grabbed her shoulders, swiveling her around to face him head on.

"You're the most special person I have, Lucy. You're not a thing or an object or the clothes you wear. You're Lucy…" He smiled slightly, her breath hitching as his hands traveled the skin of her shoulders and up her neck, finding a hold on the sides of her face.

"...And that's why I love you."

Tears started freely falling down her cheeks, startling Natsu, as he probably wasn't expecting her to cry. Hell, she wasn't expecting herself to cry.

Suddenly the reason why all of this was upsetting her so much poured out of her subconscious.

"I've been an object for as long as I can remember…" She sniffled. "I was taught that I needed to be perfect. That I was just as much an accessory as any one of my necklaces were. I shouldn't speak unless spoken to and my only purpose was to look nice and have babies. And I was only worth anything if a man looked at me…"

She clenched her eyes tight as her tears began burning.

"I didn't think you were looking at me!" She choked, breaking down into little sobs.

Lucy had no idea where any of this was coming from. She rarely thought about her old life in that gilded cage, but this entire day had awakened some sort of deeply-rooted fear of not being good enough.

Lucy didn't recall Natsu sweeping her into a hug, but she found herself wrapped tightly in his embrace. He silently wiped her tears away, and Lucy found her own feelings starting to make themselves clear.

"It wasn't until I was older that I realized I was taught wrong. I ran away after that, but it still hurts…"

She looked up at him, surprised to find him misty-eyed.

"Lucy, of course I was looking at you! I'm always looking at you! I just didn't want to make it obvious is all." He furrowed his brow, pushing back that one bang he hated so much behind her ear.

"Remember those clerks back at that store?" He asked. She nodded, albeit somewhat confused that he was bringing that up.

"I punched those guys' lights out." He put bluntly. Lucy faltered.

"You what?!" She gasped. He nodded, as if they were talking about the weather and not how he beat up a couple of guys while she wasn't looking.

"They were practically drooling over you, Lucy. And if you could've heard the things they were saying…" His jaw clenched, and Lucy thought he might burst into flames.

"I just don't wanna treat you like a piece of meat like those guys did. It made me angry the way they were looking at you, and I thought you would be mad if I looked at you the same way." He took his hands off of her.

"You're beautiful, Lucy. Absolutely beautiful." He smiled, and then frowned again. "Except for this one damn bang…" He muttered, pushing the piece of hair behind her ear again. She giggled at his obsessiveness.

"I feel dumb now…" she sighed.

"No, that's my job." He said, patting her head. "Your job is to be Lucy, and you look damn good just doing that." She laughed.

"Well just so you know, you look damn good too."

"I'm sexy too, right?" Happy piped up from the couch. Natsu and Lucy both flinched.

"H-Happy! I forgot you were here..."

"How cruel!"

"Happy, I think you'd look much sexier with a bell." She said with a smirk. Natsu doubled over laughing while Happy flapped around asking what the joke was.

"Natsu, I think I'm going to go lay down, do you want to join me?" Lucy asked, satisfied when Natsu stopped laughing and a heavy blush covered his face.

"Y-Yeah." He said, almost a question. She grabbed his hand, going back over to the couch.

"Happy, if you don't want to be scarred you should give us like thirty minutes, okay?" She told the cat, locking her eyes back on Natsu as Happy skittered out the door.

Lucy wasted no time shoving Natsu on the couch. Waves of confidence crashed down on her, filling her with courage and verve. Now that she knew he found her appealing, there was nothing stopping her. He didn't protest, letting her sit down on him, straddling his hips. She grabbed his collar, yanking his face towards her.

"L-Lucy?"

"I've been trying all day to seduce you, and now that I know it actually worked…" She purred, "I just want to make you feel good." He gulped audibly as she pressed him against the arm of the couch.

Her lips were abruptly on his, fiercely diving into the kiss and losing herself in the warmth of his mouth. She was surprised to feel his tongue being thrust without warning into her mouth, swirling around her own tongue and gliding back and forth between her lips, the boy quickly catching up to her level of arousal.

His hands traveled onto the back of her neck, his fingers dancing lightly on the top of her spine. The sensation was enough to send chills all the way down to her toes; the back of her neck was a very sensitive spot for her. As his tongue continued to slip deeper into her mouth, she found an instinctive desire to suck on it lightly, the boy moaning deeply as she kept her movements in time with his heartbeat.

He pulled his tongue back for a brief moment, his breath lingering on her mouth as she lightly trapped his bottom lip between her teeth. One of his hands wandered from her hair down to her palm, the girl slowly working his fingers with her own. She shuddered as she felt his hips grind slightly beneath her, the growing ache between her legs becoming significantly stronger at the new sensation.

She tore away from him for a brief moment, tearing the jacket off of her upper body and taking away from the stifling heat that was filling the room. As she slung it across the room, Natsu slid out from underneath her as she handed the reins over to him, letting him sit her upright against the couch cushions as he sat atop her, his body towering over hers as he slid his way back into her mouth. Lucy liked the way his weight felt on her body. It was intoxicating. She pulled him flush against her, pressing her breasts against his bare chest every time they deepened the kiss.

"N-Natsu…" She breathed out, trying to catch his eye. He had a fire in them she hadn't seen before, and she couldn't tear her gaze away from his.

His hands began travelling from her hair and down onto her shoulders, rubbing his thumbs across her collarbone as she raised her hips higher towards his. She tore her tongue away from his, kissing his jawline as his breaths shakily danced on her cheek.

Hesitantly, her eyes still locked on his, she let one of her hands travel onto his, dragging it slowly away from her neck and closer to her breasts. He locked his wrist for a moment, as if he was giving her a chance to think about what she was doing. Slightly irritated by his actions yet more sure of herself, she continued to drag his hand down onto her chest, letting it rest there as his other hand traveled down to meet her remaining breast on its own.

"Lucy…"

"...Well, go on." She whispered lightly, her grip tightening on his hand. He gave her a tentative squeeze through her shirt. She smiled slightly, looking at the sheer marvel in his eyes. Natsu looked to her, she nodded, and he squeezed again, more eager this time. He started to play with them, fondling one and then the other, and then swirling them both rhythmically in a massaging motion. Lucy let out little coos of delight, her breathing barely above a pant.

His fingers began tracing the edge of her bra, begging for entrance. She thrust her chest higher, allowing his fingers to dip into her bra from above her shirt. As the tips of his fingers brushed her nipples, she squealed in delight, getting a snicker of amusement from the boy. He tucked one nipple between his fingers, the cloth separating their skin as he lightly kneaded and tugged at it.

Her ache was becoming nearly unbearable, her hips grinding more furiously into his. His hands slipped out of her bra, drawing a whimper from her lips as he kissed the side of her mouth. With strong arms, he lifted her off the couch all at once and began to carry her towards the bed, the floorboards creaking beneath their weight.

It was becoming obvious where this make out session was going, and it was going there fast. Not that she was complaining or-

_Crack!_

Suddenly, the floorboard beneath them caved in, Natsu's foot falling into the floor and his butt onto the ground with a thud. The two looked at each other dumbly for a moment.

"...I can fix that." He said, not making a move to get up. Lucy was thrown into a fit of laughter, followed quickly by Natsu.

_How ridiculous…_

With that, the mood was effectively killed. They scooted out of the hole in the floor, Natsu averting his eyes as he pretended to find something to cover the hole. Lucy hastily stuffed her breasts back into her shirt, shifting them and wondering if this was Natsu's way of being a gentleman.

"You can look now..." She told him, the red tint on her cheeks fading. He turned around, his eyes travelling around as if they didn't know where to settle. Lucy found it laughable at how hard he was trying not to stare at her breasts knowing that he was touching them mere moments ago.

With a sigh, Lucy walked forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "You're an idiot, you know that right?"

The boy chuckled as he put his hands on her hips, locking eyes with her as he placed his forehead on hers.

"Yeah, a perfect match for a weirdo like you, dontcha think?"

Lucy giggled as she flashed him a wide smile. "Aye!"

With that, the couple crawled into bed, Happy walking in not long after. With a hole in the floor and warmth in her heart, Lucy found two things to be certain: they were about as perfect as this house, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

and you thought it was gonna be a lemon


	22. Chapter 22

So

Language and smut advisory for this chapter

Have at it

* * *

"Lucy, hurry up!" Natsu shouted as he lifted a branch above his head.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!"

Natsu stopped for a moment to let Lucy catch up. He was a pretty excitable person, but it had been a long time since he had been this enthusiastic about something.

"We're not going to find anything if you keep moving so quickly!" Lucy huffed. "We have to keep our eyes peeled for any signs that a dragon has gone this way."

Natsu knew she was right, as she often was, but being in nature again wouldn't allow his nerves to settle.

"C'mon Lucy! These are dragons! We would know right away if a dragon had been somewhere. They're not very subtle… Ah! Igneel could be right behind that rock, Lucy!" He scrambled off, ignoring his partner's groans of exhaustion.

They had been on the mountain all day, the sun getting closer to the horizon as they continued to search for Igneel. They were still relatively close to the bottom despite all of the miles they had traveled; Mt. Sekura was a huge formation. Natsu knew Igneel wouldn't be this close to the bottom, but the slayer didn't let his logic distract him as he searched every nook and cranny he saw.

It was odd, he thought, that this forest could feel so much like his childhood home. It smelled the same with the aromas of the muddy river and pine sap filling the mountain air, but still no Igneel. The forest environment felt empty without his father's presence...

_A little boy ran swiftly through the woods, his bare feet not making a sound on the forest floor._

_"Dad! Dad! Look at what I learned!" The child called from outside the cave. A rumbling noise came from within along with the little clinks of gold coins shifting around. Igneel always sat on gold. Natsu didn't question the odd habit._

_The old beast dragged himself out of the cave, his red scales reflecting the sun's light splendidly. His eyes were piercing and magnificent, but the little boy was not held in awe or fright, but affection for the beast._

_"What did you learn then, Natsu?" The dragon asked, settling himself on the warm summer grass. Natsu smiled, steeling himself and tuning out the incessant drone the cicadas._

_"Karyuu no Houko!" The boy shouted, a small plume of fire erupting from Natsu's mouth and through his cupped hands. Igneel snorted in surprise, smoke coming from his nose._

_"Very good, my boy. But you'll have to train harder if you want to protect everyone."_

_Natsu remembered being slightly encouraged, yet slightly crestfallen by Igneel's words on that day. He had been confused as to whom he needed to protect and why he needed to protect them. It didn't seem important back then, just another odd thing his father told him._

_It seemed his father's words had held more meaning than he had originally thought._

_Their search continued, but as the sunlight waned, so did Natsu's enthusiasm. It was getting late, and they hadn't found any sure evidence that the path they were on would lead to the top. As the night-time animals began to surface, neither of them spoke as they tried to ignore the fact that they should have been heading home._

_"Igneel, I don't get it." Natsu mumbled, curling into his small blanket._

_"What don't you get?" Igneel hummed, folding his wing closer to his body and pressing his warmth on Natsu._

_"Well… Who am I supposed to be protecting?" The boy asked as he fiddled with the frayed edges of his blanket._

_"The ones you love." Igneel's response was immediate and practiced, that fact lost on Natsu. He furrowed his brow._

_"But… I only love you, Igneel. Don't worry, I'll protect you!" Natsu protested. Igneel chuckled at the childish response._

_"I know you will, but someday, I'm sure you'll come to love others as well…"_

Natsu hopefully lit his hand into a dark cave only to find it empty just like every other cave he had ever searched.

"Ah… I suppose he wouldn't fit in here anyways…"Natsu mumbled softly, a weary smile on his face.

"Natsu…" He turned to see Lucy's worried expression.

"Something wrong?" He asked; she hesitated for a moment, biting her lip.

"It's- It's nothing but, you just look really sad."

"Nah, everything's fine!" He laughed, his resolve shaking. He felt like sobbing, which was a relatively new feeling for him. Her eyes narrowed on him, and Natsu knew she could see through his tough-guy act. He sighed.

"You idiot…" She mumbled, smothering him in a hug. He felt somewhat numb clinging to her.

_I'm not gonna cry. There's no reason to cry._

"Natsu…" She said, making him look her in the eyes. "He's up here, and we're going to find him." A soft smile graced her lips, bringing Natsu to smile as well.

_But I guess, when I'm with Lucy, I don't need a reason._

She slid her hand into his, walking along through the forest again.

"Hey, tell me about Igneel." She told him. Natsu faltered. Lucy had never asked about Igneel before!

"W-Well… what do you want to know?" He responded without thinking, not quite sure if he wanted to talk about Igneel, but he couldn't just brush Lucy off. Plus, this was Lucy. He wouldn't mind telling her a little about-

"Everything."

He blinked, not understanding what she said for a moment.

"E-Everything?!" He exclaimed, clutching her hand tightly. She giggled.

"Well, yeah!" She said. The boy smiled widely. Natsu didn't know why this made him so happy. Maybe it was because he had never opened up to anyone about Igneel. Except Happy and Lisanna, but even they had only sparse knowledge of Natsu's life with Igneel at best.

"Okay… But only if you tell me about your mom." It was a bold move and he knew it, but the sweetest smile came to Lucy's face at his request, and he knew he wouldn't regret asking.

"Okay."

As the sun disappeared underneath the horizon, Natsu told Lucy everything- well, everything he remembered- and she listened to him with unwavering attention. She laughed with him when he recalled falling out of a tree to look at bird eggs, and she held him close when he got choked up. She never let go of his hand when his voice scraped with grief.

Lucy told the story of her mother in snippets of her life. Of all the fairy tales they read and all the constellations they saw. Of a strange disease that her child's mind couldn't comprehend.

"She didn't even say good bye, you know? She never said anything about leaving us." Lucy confided, new tears welling up in her eyes, ready to overrun the old ones.

"Yeah… I know… I know." He whispered to her. Natsu wished he could articulate his feelings better. He felt such sympathy for her, and he couldn't correctly say it. He just wanted her to know that she wasn't alone in this big, bad world. He gathered her up in his arms and they stopped walking for a while, resting beneath a tree as they let their hurt and pain seep into the mountain's unforgiving earth.

"...Natsu."

"Hmm?"

"My foot is asleep."

"Oh."

They parted so Lucy could rub the pins and needles out of her foot. He wondered how long they had been sitting like that, silently holding one another. He had almost fallen asleep like that. As it was, he lost track of time when he was with Lucy. He had no boundaries, no limitations when she was by his side. And at any rate, he felt better now.

Natsu stretched, slowly getting to his feet.

"...We should go home."

Lucy nodded, letting Natsu help her to her feet. Happy would probably be home by now, wondering where they were no doubt.

The two stopped abruptly ten minutes into their hike back to their little home.

"Lucy… Were these rocks here before?"

"I don't think so..." She sounded wary, and Natsu lit his arm on fire to inspect the rocks blocking their path. Fresh dirt had been dug up from the boulders being dragged and dropped on each other. Natsu knew that they had definitely gone down this path before, but why would someone want to block their way home…

"Natsu,"

Lucy had stepped back from the rocks, her gaze focused on the ground in front of her. Curiously, Natsu went to her side and brightened his flames, making out a familiar message scrawled in the dirt:

"FOR STAEFER"

"...Natsu, do you know what this means?" She turned to him.

"Yeah, it means someone keeps confusing us with this Staefer guy. They must not like him."

"No, you idiot! It means that whoever did this was trying to sabotage us in Staefer's name!" She told him, her eyes shining fiercely from his fire's light as she scowled at the mystery.

"Well, I don't know who Staefer is, but we have to find another way home now." Natsu put bluntly.

The pair picked another path to find a way home, not wanting to disturb the unstable pile of rocks. Natsu could've sworn they were lost, but they trudged on anyway.

"Natsu, I'm tired." Lucy whined after a while, dragging her feet on the ground. He couldn't complain though, he was feeling run down as well after all the hiking.

"Don't worry; we should be clo- Gah!"

Natsu tripped on a branch, the stick rolling under his sandal and making him lose his balance. He was thrown downhill in a flash.

"N-Natsu!" The girl cried out with worry.

"I'm okay!" He called, pulling a twig out of his hair. He felt a large heat source behind him. Expecting it was an enemy, he sprang into a defensive pose, only to find out that the enemy was a natural hot springs.

"Hey Lucy, check this out!" He yelled to her as she slowly made her way down the hill.

"A hot spring!" She smiled, clasping her hands together at the sight. Natsu thought it was cute.

"Let's take a bath, Lucy." He said, immediately halting. Why did he just ask that? He looked to her, and she had stopped as well with an amiable blush on her face.

"Well we- we really have to get home. And there isn't anything separating a girls or boys side.…" Lucy stammered, nervously knocking her toes against her heel.

"Y-Yeah… You're right… Sorry 'bout that." The boy chuckled nervously.

Wh-What was I thinking?! Asking Lucy to take a bath with me! She would never-

"W-Well… I guess it would be okay… if we stayed away from each other."

Natsu was nearly knocked off his feet.

_She… She's going to get in with me?!_

The boy could only stare at her in shock as she grabbed his hand and led him to the spring.

"N-Now… you stay on this side. I'm going to go over here and get in. Whatever you do, don't look!"

_How in the world am I NOT going to look?!_

Despite his desires, the boy nodded as Lucy walked off, the two of them stripping down and getting in the water. Their clothes and bags were left beside a tree. Natsu stuck a couple of branches in the ground and lit them on fire so they wouldn't have to bathe in the dark.

Natsu let his strained muscles relax in the hot water, wading around and going to sit on one of the rock shelves. He sat there, befuddled, sinking deeper into the steamy water as his heart pounded.

"So… Is it nice?" Natsu asked, projecting his voice across the water.

"Mhmm. It's pretty deep, though. I can't really see where I am."

"Yeah, same here."

The boy twiddled his thumbs, trying to fight off any images of Lucy that danced in his head as he heard her shift in the water.

_C'mon Natsu… Control yourself!_

"Neh… Natsu."

The boy jumped at the sound of her voice echoing from across the way.

"Y-Yeah?"

"... Who do you think Staefer is?"

The boy frowned; the mystery behind that name made him uneasy. Whoever this Staefer guy was, he had hurt Happy and was trying to sabotage Lucy as well.

"I don't know who he is, Lucy. I've never heard of him… but I think he might know who we are."

He could hear Lucy hum in thought, something he had always thought was incredibly cute.

"Do you… think he's a dragon, Natsu?"

The boy paused; he hadn't thought about that.

"I guess that's possible. Why would a dragon be messing with us, though?"

"I don't know… but I doubt he or his lackeys are human. They moved all of those rocks, not to mention they caused that rockslide. Plus, I don't think there are any other humans on this mountain..." Lucy rationalized, keeping quiet after a few moments. When she spoke again, it was in a low tone.

"You don't think that the dragons are trying to hurt us, do you Natsu?"

Natsu scowled at the possibility. Why in the world would the dragons be trying to hurt them? They haven't done anything wrong, or at least he didn't think so.

"I don't know why they would do that, Lucy. I'm still pure, after all."

The girl remained silent.

"Lucy?"

"...Natsu, why are you the only pure one left? What happened to the others?"

That was a good question. Why was he the only one left?

"Well… I don't think that Cobra and Laxus have this whole purity responsibility, because they don't have dragons. They are second generation slayers. With Gajeel, Sting, and Rogue, the three of them have hurt a lot of innocent people in their time. They might have changed since then, but they strayed off the path of purity. They were tainted, and I guess you can't be pure after that. It makes sense, I guess, my dad always said I needed to be able to protect people. This must have been what he meant."

"But what about Wendy?"

The boy pondered that question for a moment.

"Well, if I had to guess… it would probably be because… she gave up."

"What do you mean?"

Natsu sighed, running his finger over the water's surface.

"I mean she stopped fighting. You remember when we met her, Lucy. She was scared and defenseless. Whenever an enemy came, she would hide. It didn't matter if someone was in danger, she would still hide away. And when Nirvana hit, she almost lost herself to the evil. She felt like she had failed everyone, and that she was all alone. Her guild was gone; she had lost her friends… And even before that, her mom had left without a reason, and maybe she thought it was her fault… That she had done something wrong and caused Grandine to leave her. I think she might have hated herself, Lucy."

The boy frowned as he looked at his reflection.

"I kinda know the feeling…"

It was silent for a moment, the sadness of his words weighing heavily in the air.

"Natsu…I-"

He heard a splash, along with a sharp cry. Natsu sprang up, hearing Lucy yelp in pain.

"Lucy?! Are you okay over there?!"

"S-Shit…" She ground out, her voice tipped with pain and what sounded like a touch of panic.

Without thinking, Natsu rushed over to where she was, finding that she had propped herself up on an underwater shelf as she held onto her foot, blood seeping around it.

She spotted him. "G-Get away!" She sputtered, using her free hand to splash at him. He frowned, realizing his error quickly. He turned around and clenched his eyes shut.

"Sorry! But you're hurt Lucy, I can smell the blood. Let me look at the cut." It was true, Lucy's blood had a metallic smell to it, and he hated it.

"T-The cut isn't deep…" She said quietly, slipping her foot back into the water.

He frowned, the scent of her blood weakened by the water but still in the air. He turned around, keeping his eyes on her face as he tried not to look anywhere else, but it was laced with pain.

"Lucy…"

The girl bit her lip.

"Lucy, let me see it."

She sighed, extending her leg out toward him.

"...J-Just don't look anywhere else…"

The boy nodded, stepping up to where she sat. He lifted her foot out of the water, trying his best to make his eyes avoid all the spots they shouldn't be. The lack of light was making it hard to see, so he lifted her foot higher. Lucy squealed at his actions, accidentally letting his hand slide up her leg. She squeaked and Natsu blushed, returning his eyes to her foot to find a decent-sized cut in the center, right in the tender spot of her foot. It seemed pretty deep, too.

"Is it bad...?"

Natsu shook his head, placing her foot back in the water.

"It's pretty deep, but it'll be okay. We'll wrap it up when we get back home. You should probably let it soak though. Did you step on a rock or something?"

"Yeah… Stay away from that spot right there." She said, pointing a few feet over. He nodded, and the two remained silent for a moment.

"Right, uh, I'll just go back to my side then…" He mumbled.

"N-No! That is- You should stay here." Lucy said. She didn't give a reason for wanting him to stay, and frankly he didn't need one. He waded to the side, sitting down beside her on the shelf. Lucy held her arms over her chest, and Natsu sat rigid next to her.

_She's naked… Hell, I'm naked._

He caught Lucy looking at him and met her eyes for a brief moment before they both looked away. Natsu averted his eyes to the night sky, finding a familiar looking figure in the stars.

"Lucy, what's that constellation?" He asked, stretching his arm out to point at the heavens. Lucy gazed up at the stars for a moment thoughtfully.

"Hercules." She said, a proud little smile on her face. "He was the mightiest hero. He was courageous and strong, and he went on lots of adventures."

Natsu cocked his head, trying to picture a brave warrior from the cluster of stars.

"I guess I kinda see it… What made him a warrior?"

Lucy smiled, leaning backwards in the steamy water.

"Well, when Hercules was born, his dad wanted him to be the best hero that ever lived. He sent Hercules to Earth to live among the humans so he could become one of them as well as being a god. While he was on Earth, a god named Hera tried to make it so Hercules would fall from grace. Hercules was filled with strength and courage though, and he overcame all of Hera's trials and was able to prove himself to his father."

_Courage, huh…_

Natsu let his eyes travel from the sky to the girl beside him, her body hidden by the steamy water. He eyes shone brilliantly with wonder and fondness as she looked up toward the sky.

She was stunning.

"... Lucy, what made him so strong and courageous?"

"Hmmm… Well, Hercules never stepped down from a challenge. Whenever an opportunity presented itself, he took it, no matter how scared he was."

_Opportunities…_

Natsu couldn't help but relate Lucy's story to himself. Not that he thought he was as great as some hero, but he wanted to be brave and courageous, and so far that had been easy enough for him…

Without thinking, he slid his arm around Lucy's waist, drawing her closer to him.

"Natsu…?" She questioned him in a small voice. He smiled down at her, hugging her closer.

"Lucy, I'm gonna be like that Hercules guy. I'm gonna take opportunities." Natsu told her.

She smiled gently, carefully easing herself onto Natsu's lap.

"I'm going to take opportunities too." She said, something suggestive in her voice as she quickly kissed him and turned around to watch the stars, leaning back on the boy's chest.

Natsu was glad that Lucy couldn't see his face. His expression was dumbfounded, and slightly panicked.

_Why is she sitting on me?!_

Natsu tried to remain still, but Lucy kept moving around.

"H-Hey, Lucy-" He stuttered. Lucy turned slightly to see his face, a cute frown on her lips.

"What's the matter?" She asked. Natsu wondered if her voice always sounded like honey.

"I- I forgot." He lied, his jaw clenching as she wiggled back into place and the blood rushed down to his groin.

_Shit… I'm gunna get a-_

"Why are you being so quiet?" The girl whispered, her voice laced with a touch of sadness. She obviously wanted him to do something, but he was a little too focused on keeping her from noticing his… emerging problem.

"N-No reason… I just… Uhh..."

She moved back some as she spoke, and Natsu guessed that she must have felt his hard on, because she squealed and jumped away, sitting with her back to him.

"S-Sorry…" The boy mumbled, his face blood red with embarrassment.

_Just great. Could this get any worse?_

"It's… Okay. Maybe we should… go…"

_Apparently so._

The boy looked down, his arousal apparent. He was not going to get out of the water like that; it would be too embarrassing.

The boy brought his head down so he wouldn't have to look at her.

"N-No… Let's stay here for a while…" He mumbled.

"O-Oh… Okay." Lucy stuttered, her body remaining deathly still.

The two sat in silence for a few moments, both of them at a loss for what to do in the situation. It was Lucy who spoke first.

"Hey… They don't just go away, do they?"

Natsu shook his head. "If I wait long enough maybe. But that's pretty unlikely, what with you standing there all naked and steamy." He replied, his face expressionless as Lucy's cheeks flared red.

"...Does it hurt?"

"No, not really." He laughed lightly under his breath. And Lucy thought _he_ was the innocent one.

"C-Can I..." She mumbled, sinking her mouth into the water after she spoke, as if she was afraid to ask.

"...Huh?"

She blew a few bubbles under the water before her head bobbed back up.

"Can I… Help you with... That? I mean… I'm willing to help…"

Her words hit him like a bullet. His eyes bugged out of his head, locking on the back of her skull.

_Did she just offer to do __**that**__?_

He gulped audibly as he kept his eyes locked on her. "If… If you're sure you want to…"

The girl hesitantly waded towards him, her hands resting on his knees. She looked up at him and gave him a tiny smile. Standing before him, she tentatively spread his legs, Natsu's hands resting on the rock shelf.

"Natsu… I've never done this before… So if I'm doing something wrong, tell me okay?"

The slayer nodded dumbly, still not believing this was actually happening. Lucy mumbled something under her breath about not being able to see before blindly grabbing at his cock.

The boy hissed at her touch, the sensation of her warm hands on his dick sent spikes of electricity and pleasure up his spine. She tensed at his reaction, her head flying up to look at his face.

"S-Sorry! Did that hurt?"

Natsu shook his head furiously, Lucy giving him a hesitant smile as her eyes traveled back down to the water. Her fingers began dancing on the underside of his shaft as if she was looking for a light switch in the dark. He had to hold his tongue the entire time, trying not to let any profanities slip out of his lips. As she continued to feel her way around his cock, the silence became thick except for Natsu's little moans every now and then.

"Natsu… Why are you being so quiet? Does it not feel good?"

"Fuck no, this is amazing!" He shouted, slapping his hand over his mouth as he cursed in pleasure. He could feel himself throbbing, his skin aching to be touched. The girl snickered at his outburst, confidence rushing into her eyes as she realized she was doing something right. With a smirk, she looked down, squeezing his shaft in time with his pulse that was pounding through his erection.

He threw his head back, taking in a sharp breath and letting out a deep moan. He balled his fists up in the grass beside him as he slipped deeper into the water, the girl stroking him up and down vigorously. Her grip tightened on him upon every moan she drew from his lips. As his breath became uneven, she began gritting her teeth, moving faster and with more force.

"Hah…Fuck I- Lucy…" Natsu groaned through clenched teeth.

He heard Lucy start to pant, and he peeked his eyes open to watch what she was doing. It was an erotic sight: Lucy pumping him, strands of her hair falling into the water with her movements and her skin glistening with sweat in the torchlight, much like himself.

She let her hands travel away from his length, pressing her palms into the soft part of his inner thighs as she let her let her knuckles knock against his balls.

_Fuck, she's a goddess!_

His body was getting far too hot for his liking in the spring water, the steam and sweat causing even Natsu to feel as if he was overheating.

"Lu… Lucy… We need to get out of the water." He panted, taking his hands out of the grass. She huffed indignantly, removing her hands with reluctance. Natsu used his arms to pull himself out of the water, sitting on the edge of the pool. Feverishly, Lucy climbed onto the rock shelf again, kneeling in front of him as she rested her hands on his legs.

For a moment, she froze. He looked down to see her staring at his hardened dick, taking a good look at it now that she wasn't blinded by the steamy water. Natsu felt a twinge of self consciousness as she gawked at him.

"Are they always this thick…?" She whispered to herself.

Natsu smirked at her comment, his ego skyrocketing.

_Could she be anymore adorable?_

The girl chuckled under her breath, diving back in between his thighs with considerably less hesitation.

The boy thought things couldn't get any better until she wrapped her thumb and forefinger around his shaft at the base, stroking him up and down with just those two fingers. The new sensation was intoxicating, her small grunts of effort and his deep moans of pleasure filling the silent air of the mountain.

On a whim, Lucy brought her two fingers back to his base, squeezing tightly as she tried to see if she could wrap those two fingers around him completely. The girl squeezed tighter and tighter, the blood gathering below her fingers. She must have noticed his cock harden because she kept her grip tight as she began stroking his now-hypersensitive shaft with her other hand.

"Fuck, Lucy! Where did you learn to do this?!"

Lucy giggled at his amazement. "Just lucky, I guess!" She boasted, pulling down on his shaft as she began twisting the head like a bottle cap. He felt himself twitch in her grasp.

"'Pretty sure I'm the lucky one..." He breathed out in awe.

She brought herself closer to his body, unaware that she was bringing her breasts out of the water as the steam fogged his view.

"Well then, let me show you just how lucky you are~"

She took her other three fingers and wrapped them tightly around his shaft, twisting and pulling on his length. With the other hand, she pressed her palm against his head, turning it from side to side as if she was rattling a door knob. Sweat was pouring down his face, his cheeks red as he broke and lost the will to avoid looking at her wet, bouncing breasts.

"Natsu… Natsu, show me what you like." Lucy panted, reaching up and grabbing his hands. She brought them down to his shaft, placing her hands atop his.

With vigor, he squeezed himself tightly, heating up his hands as he began pumping himself. Lucy let out a shaky breath as she watched him. She snickered under her breath, complaining to herself that she wasn't a fire mage and couldn't do this to him. As his hands became hotter and hotter, she removed hers and let them travel elsewhere, massaging his thighs and fondling his testicles. He slipped back into the water, the heat from his hands creating more steam.

"Lucy, I can't- I'm in trouble..." He panted, realizing he was reaching his limit. Liquid fire built up in his stomach, threatening to encompass and destroy him. The girl grinned wildly, swatting his hands out of the way as she began to pump vigorously to make up for the lack of friction in the dark water. He leaned back into the rocks once again, drapping his arms on the edge and throwing his head back as he focused solely on her touch.

"Fuck… Lucy…"

In an attempt to finish him off, she squeezed with more force than she had before, pulling down painfully slowly from his base all the way to his head. At last, he relented, and let the fire in his belly consume him. His toes curled, his hands balled into fists, and stars flashed before his eyes as Lucy pulled a strong stream of seed from his length. Lucy threw her arms around his waist in an embrace, holding him there as he cried out and shuddered, riding out the waves of his orgasm.

She threw herself at Natsu, pressing her body against him and furiously capturing his lips on hers. His eyes widened at her sudden display of affection, wanting nothing more than to melt into the kiss. As he sunk into her embrace, she brought her hands back down to his cock, causing him to regretfully pull away from her.

"No… No, Lucy don't make me do it again. We'll be here all night." He panted out, grabbing her hands and bringing them around his neck.

Laughter bubbled from her chest. "Okay, okay, we'll stop, but only because you asked~"

He let his hands travel down her sides and rest on her hips, looking into her eyes as he spoke.

"By the way, Lucy… Your breasts are gorgeous."

The girl stiffened at his words, looking down to see her fully-revealed chest, soaked in sweat and water.

"Kya!" She squealed, diving back down into the water.

He laughed as she blew bubbles under the surface, hiding behind a rock as he stood up to put his clothes on.

_I am the luckiest man in the world._

The couple traveled back down the mountain, finding a different route. Natsu had to carry her down, piggyback style. The hole in Lucy's foot keeping her from walking on her own. He stumbled around in the dark, Lucy playing with the edges of his scarf and resting her head on his shoulder. Stepping through the threshold of their front door well past midnight, Happy shot up from his bed on the couch, disoriented in his sleepy state.

"Wh-Who's there?!" He cried.

"Don't worry, Haps! It's just us!" Natsu exclaimed, turning on the lights as Lucy closed the door.

Like an upset parent, Happy folded his little arms on his chest. "Where in the world have you two been?! Do you have any idea what time it is?!"

Lucy and Natsu locked eyes, flashing small smiles at each other.

"Oh, you know, searching for Igneel."

The cat huffed indignantly, throwing himself back on the couch.

"Well, whatever! I stayed up forever waiting for you two! Just turn the lights off, I'm going back to sleep."

Lucy giggled as Natsu turned the lights off once again, the two smirking as they went to bed with their dirty little secret.


	23. Chapter 23

"Natsu, what do you think about this one?" Lucy asked, holding up another paint swatch.

"Yeah, yeah, it's fine! Can we get out of here now? The smell is killing me!" Natsu whined, holding his scarf over his nose.

They had been working on the house for about three weeks now, and they were finally putting on the finishing touches. Lucy wanted to paint the floorboards so no one could tell the age difference between the ones they hadn't replaced and the new ones they had put in. They had gone to town to buy the last few things they needed: a rug, a lamp, another bookcase for Lucy, and two cans of paint.

"Come on, Natsu!" The girl huffed, not impressed by his lack of interest. "We could paint the floors mint green, like this, or maybe a nice pale blue like this one! The quicker you choose, the faster we can get out of here."

Lucy watched as Natsu leaned in, tugging his scarf closer to his nose as he finally put some thought into his responses.

"Well… what about a golden yellow? I've always liked gold."

A fond smile danced across Lucy's face, glad that Natsu could actually form some kind of opinion on the matter. She couldn't help but be reminded of the old myth that dragons loved gold and hoarded it in their caves. Natsu definitely had that hoarding quality; not only was his house back in Magnolia covered in mementos, but even their little shack was becoming overrun by small items they had encountered on the mountain: rocks that they had gathered from around the hot spring, leaves that Lucy had turned into bookmarks, wildflowers that he had picked for her in an attempt to be romantic. Lucy never complained about his habits, though. It made their little shack seem like a home with all of their memories stuffed inside.

"Okay, gold it is! Now let's just choose a shade…"

"Uuugghh, Lucy!"

Two cans of marigold paint and a few brushes later, the couple had left the store, Natsu taking in a breath of fresh air upon stepping outside. Happy met them at the entrance after being kicked out of the pet store two doors over.

"Natsu, Lucy, they kicked me out! Why would they do that?! I was only looking at the fish!" The cat pouted, his cheeks puffed out.

"Well Haps, you were probably starin' at 'em like they were a snack."

"Not all fish are meant to be eaten, you know!"

"How could you say such a horrible thing?!" The cat cried, appalled at his friends' responses.

Lucy laughed as she sped in front of everyone else.

"Come on, we have to get back home! I really want to finish this stuff in time for the meteor shower tomorrow night!"

She had been buzzing about the meteor showers for weeks now, the night time show occurring every year around the beginning of January. It had been a tradition for as long as she could remember to watch the show from the earth as her spirits explained the phenomena from the celestial spirit world the next day. She was excited to share the experience with her family, to include Natsu and Happy in such a wonderful tradition in her life.

"Lucy, we'll hafta work all day both today and tomorrow if we wanna be done in time for the shower. Are you sur-"

"Yes, I'm sure! Please Natsu I really _really_ want this!" The girl begged, grabbing his hands and leaning into his face, her bottom lip pouting as she bored into his eyes.

He blinked at her display, his eyes going soft as a smile came to his lips. He removed his hands from her grasp and wrapped her up in a hug.

"You are so adorable…" he chuckled, his sudden display of affection bringing a blush to Lucy's cheeks. He had become bolder in the last few weeks, more than willing to embrace her no matter who was watching.

"N-Natsu…"

The boy jumped back, a wide grin on his face. "Whatever you wanna do, Lucy! We gotta get up there and get started though!"

"Aye! Now that my tail is better, I can help you guys paint the floor!" Happy chimed, willing his wings into existence and soaring into the sky to show off how much better he was feeling.

The girl giggled at the display, pivoting on her heel and walking forward with confidence. "Come on then! Let's go!"

As soon as they got home, the couple moved all of their furniture, old and new, outside, spending hours wiping down appliances, scrubbing floors, and washing windows while Happy snoozed on the roof, pretending to ignore Natsu and Lucy's requests for help. It was laborious but productive work. It was fulfilling for Lucy, knowing that they were making so much progress on their home.

They re-painted the floor, golden yellow covering their palms, elbows, and knees. They slept outside that night, curled up on their bed, cold and spent from all of the housework in the winter weather. Natsu always fell asleep before her, and she liked seeing him nod off. He always relaxed his muscles after tugging her towards him, all the tension leaving his face as he hugged her closer. He would heat up his body out of habit because he knew she liked that, and that soft heat lulled her to sleep in the winter air.

As the team woke up, they rushed back into the house, the floors dry and beautiful. They spent all morning and all afternoon moving the furniture back inside, filling the bookcases once again and topping the bed off with fresh sheets. As the sun began to fall below the horizon, the trio looked at their work.

"Not too shabby, eh Lucy?" Natsu boasted, throwing his arm over her shoulder. "Think you could live here for a while?"

Lucy giggled as she leaned back into him. "I think I can manage!"

The house was perfect… except for one thing.

"Hey, let's put our handprints somewhere!" Lucy exclaimed, pulling out the paint can one last time.

"Aye! And pawprints!"

The trio took their brushes and slathered their hands with paint, pressing their palms right above the baseboard in the far left corner of the room.

Lucy took pride in their handprints, all bunched together in a corner of the house. It was more sentimental than anything, and Lucy was glad to leave some sort of mark on their home. She found herself wanting to remember that day. And maybe ten or twenty years down the road, she would come back here with Natsu and they would remember the day they finished renovations on their first house. Yes, Lucy was content now that those seemingly-meaningless handprints were there.

"We're done!" Natsu cried, throwing his arms around Lucy and placing a hasty kiss on her cheek. Lucy threw her head back and laughed, returning his kiss and momentarily burying her face in his chest.

"It's perfect..." She murmured lovingly. The girl stepped back, facing her two boys.

"We should have a hot pot to celebrate!"

Lucy, being the only person willing to cook, set out to make a meal. It wasn't as though she didn't like cooking; she just didn't have much experience. What with most of her meals being cooked for her when she was younger, she never had the chance to learn. On the other hand, Natsu had been cooking for himself for the majority of his life. It made Lucy a little sad, thinking about that. She could imagine little Natsu in his drafty home learning how to make fire chicken by himself, eating alone and wondering if Igneel was thinking about him.

While Lucy was lost in her reverie, the water in the pot started to boil over. She yelped, fumbling to turn back the dial on the stove. A splash of hot water fell on Lucy's hand before the boiling water died down, and she gasped in pain.

"Lucy?!" The boy was by her side in an instant. She held her wrist tight against her thighs, biting her lip to keep from screaming.

"What'd you do?!" He exclaimed, taking her hand. She gulped as the pain steadily increased.

"I...I burnt my hand..." She said slowly. Natsu gingerly inspected her hand, painstakingly trying to avoid touching the injury.

He lowered his mouth on her hand and gently started sucking her skin. Tensing at the sensation, Lucy's face turned an unhealthy shade of red.

"Wh-What do you think you're _doing_?!"

He looked up at her, removing his mouth with a popping sound that made Lucy acquire goose bumps on her exposed skin.

"I'm just treating your burn, relax." He said, his voice softer than usual, but not missing that carefree tone he always had.

Relax? Easy for you to say…

Natsu brought his mouth back to her hand, soothingly sucking away the painful heat and replacing it with a dull warmth.

_He's sucking me…_

Lucy found his actions oddly cute and endearing, but also sexy in a way that only Natsu could pull off. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to be feeling, but admittedly, this was a turn on for her. She could only focus on Natsu's wet kisses and soft suckling noises.

He stopped, taking his mouth away without the loud pop that Lucy was expecting, instead taking a brief moment to lick the wound clean of his saliva.

Natsu stood up straight, facing her and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Lucy found it strange that he could do something like that without thinking it the least bit weird, but this was Natsu, she affirmed with herself, and he would always be surprising her.

"It'll leave a mark for a while like a regular burn, but at least it won't hurt now." He told her. Lucy looked down at her hand that had been made red and slick by Natsu's mouth. On a whim, she leaned forward on the tips of her toes and kissed him, as a thank you.

"My hero~"

With that, Lucy went back to fixing dinner, making sure not to let her thoughts wander as her cheeks burned, trying not to think about that odd sucking scene a moment ago. As the family sat down and finished their meal, a small light came from the window.

"The meteor shower! It's starting!" Lucy cried, rushing over to the bed to look out the window with Natsu and Happy at her heels. The team gathered on the bed, Lucy sitting in Natsu's lap with Happy flanking her right, purring as she rubbed behind his ears.

As the meteors began falling from the heavens, Lucy stared to the sky with wonder, Mt. Sekura's silhouette creating a beautiful backdrop for the show.

"I wonder if any of the meteors will land on the mountain…" Lucy wondered aloud.

"Well maybe if Staefer behaves, we can go up and try to find one." Natsu said with a chuckle. Lucy smiled for a moment at the dry humor, but as her mind began to explore the subject, that smile faded.

_I still don't understand who Staefer is, but he is really starting to create trouble. First he hurt Happy, and then he trapped Natsu and me on the mountain. He and his lackeys have gotten bold the last few weeks, too. More than a few times, the dragons completely destroyed a path that we had been exploring. Sometimes a loud roar would echo from the top of the mountain, spooking the animals and forcing us to hide. Hell, just a few days ago, one of the dragons actually swooped down from the top of the mountain, speeding towards us and knocking down trees. He flew back up immediately, but being in his line of fire was far too close for comfort. Every action was connected by the same message portrayed in some shape or form: "FOR STAEFER."_

Lucy frowned at the thought of that name.

_I don't understand what the dragons are doing. Why would they be trying to hurt us? Igneel said that Natsu has to remain pure, that he can't hate anyone, including the dragons. Having this Staefer guy attack us is not exactly putting them on Natsu's good side. Every time those dragons mess with us, me and Happy in particular, it makes Natsu so angry. They are messing with his nakama, and if they knew Natsu, they would know that he doesn't take that lightly. These last few attacks have been hard on him, what with them being such close calls. Each time he seethes, parts of his body flaming up slightly, I end up having to calm him down, reminding him that we are okay and then dragging him back down the mountain. The last attack was too much for him though. We haven't gone back up since then, what with Natsu being as protective as he is. The dragons are rubbing him the wrong way… I can't let him grow to hate them._

"Lucy? Whatcha thinkin' about? You're being awfully quiet."

The girl snapped out of her thoughts upon hearing her partner's voice.

"Ah, nothing really! It doesn't matter!"

The boy frowned, but instead of pushing her on the matter, he simply tightened his grip around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Hey Lucy… I'm really glad we found this house."

Lucy smiled softly. "Me too… It's turning out really well, even though we didn't really plan to stay in it this long!"

Her words drew a chuckle from his lips. "Yeah, this is taking a while, isn't it? But ya know… I'm really enjoying it. I thought I would be upset if I didn't find Igneel right away, but I'm having fun takin' it slow like this. Searching the mountain one day, messing around another. It's fun, living together like this."

The girl agreed silently, sinking deeper into his embrace as she let her fingers draw small patterns on his thighs.

…...

Natsu began sinking into Lucy's warmth as she rested in his lap, his mind wandering as he watched the stars.

"Lucy?"

"Hmm?" She hummed in response.

"What do you think Fairy Tail is up to?" He asked.

"...Probably having fun, going on adventures, getting into fights. You know how troublesome our nakama can be, but I'm sure they're doing okay." Lucy confirmed with him. He sighed contentedly.

Natsu would be lying if he said that he didn't feel homesick. Although, he had no will to return. Not right now anyways. But Natsu always worried about his nakama when he was on long missions. In all honesty, his true weakness wasn't motion sickness, it was homesickness. He knew they would be okay, they always were, but it comforted him to hear Lucy say it. He had to admit, living with Lucy and Happy in this forgotten home, it felt like a dream, and he didn't want to wake up just yet.

He looked down to Lucy. She seemed to be lost in a trance-like state as she sat in his lap, her fingers skating on his skin. He was trying to watch the meteor shower like he was told, but he was getting bored. That, and Lucy's scent was incredibly distracting.

"Lucy…"

"Mmm?" She mumbled mindlessly.

"I'm gonna tickle you!" He laughed, Lucy squealing as he attacked her sides. Natsu liked seeing her squirm as laughter bubbled up from her chest, making her face red and her voice sound breathless.

"Natsu! Natsu, quit th-that!" She giggled, pushing at his hands only to have them land back on her exposed skin. They continued like that for a few moments, the girl begging him to relent.

"Okay, okay!" He chuckled, his hands slowing down to rub her sides in order to soothe the area he had assaulted. They remained that way for a while, his hands stroking her midsection, up and down.

She moaned a little, to Natsu's surprise. He looked down to see what she was doing when her arms reached up and twisted around his neck.

"L-Lucy...?"

She arched her back slightly, stretching upward in an attempt to reveal more of her stomach.

"More…" She mumbled comfortably.

Natsu's eyes widened, his hands hesitantly traveling up her stomach and brushing the undersides of her breasts. He heard the door creak open, catching a quick glimpse of a little blue tail with a white tip slipping outside. Natsu smirked, knowing Happy didn't want to be there when Lucy wanted _things_ from Natsu. He returned his eyes to Lucy, his hands inching higher.

"Lucy, can I…?" He couldn't form the right words as his hands itched to touch her partially-bare breasts, only some of her cleavage covered by her bra.

"Yeah." She breathed, eagerly pushing her chest forward.

His hands found purchase at the top of her breasts, fumbling around under her shirt. Natsu vaguely wondered if she was always this soft. He wrapped one arm around her middle to steady her, while his other hand remained on her breast.

He kissed down the nape of her neck, satisfied when goose bumps rose on her skin where his lips had been. He nuzzled into her neck lovingly, teasing her with quick flicks of his tongue and his warm breath on her skin.

She ran her hand up and down his outer thigh, and then impatiently pivoted on her hands to face him, swiftly capturing his lips. He melted into the kiss, bringing his arms around her and wrapping her close. She put her head on his chest with a contented sigh. Natsu looked down at her curiously and caught her eye, brushing back a piece of her hair behind her ear.

"Was that… Good?" He asked. Natsu was still unsure of how to treat Lucy. Over the weeks of their renovations he had found some of her soft spots, and he hadn't run into too many errors. Lucy was very forgiving of his obliviousness and seemed more than willing to teach him how to please her.

"Kiss me, you idiot." She smirked, grabbing his scarf and pulling his lips back down on hers. Natsu cupped the side of her face, kissing her sweetly and gently. They pulled away momentarily for air and then went back in, deeper this time. Natsu was surprised to feel Lucy thrust her tongue into his mouth. He groaned as she sucked on his bottom lip.

Lucy turned all the way around so she was facing him and sitting in between his legs. She leaned forward and carefully unwound his scarf from around his neck. Natsu felt his heart warm as she took care to place the scarf gently beside them. She lightly kissed all around his collar bone, trailing her hot breath on his skin. Natsu shuddered. Lucy took advantage of this, pushing him on his back and running her tongue across his lips and kissing the edges of his mouth.

Natsu found his hands traveling the smooth skin of her back. He moaned, going back to her neck as she began to grind her hips into his. The boy's mind fogged over with lust, his vision reeling for a moment as his hand slipped under the clasp of Lucy's bra.

They froze. Natsu caught Lucy's eyes, and they held the same question as his.

_Are we really going to do this…?_

"Lucy… Is this okay?" He whispered. Their faces were inches away, and he could feel her breath on his lips. Natsu licked his own lips nervously, searching her eyes for any hint of hesitation, or worse, regret.

A confident smile came to her lips along with a determined look in her eyes.

"Definitely."

They sat up together. Lucy slowly arched her back towards him, draping her arms around his neck and laying her head on his shoulder. His fingers roamed around her skin slowly and gently. Lucy relaxed at Natsu's touch, giving him the confidence to rub her little soft spots, like the small of her back. She whimpered.

Natsu moved to take her shirt off. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears as Lucy lifted her arms over her head. He was left in awe for a moment, forgetting his panic and admiring how her body shifted slightly when she put her arms up. She was beautiful in an ever-changing, dynamic way.

Natsu gulped audibly as her bra came fully into view. The tension in the room felt eager, like they might spring on each other at any moment.

Lucy hungrily pecked at his neck, prodding him to do something. He used to not understand why so many people drooled over Lucy's body. A body is just a body, right? But now, now that he was undressing her and he could feel the curves of her figure, he understood.

Natsu didn't know where her shirt went, but suddenly she was lying on her back, her golden hair spread about the bed sheets like a halo. Lucy clung to him, running the tips of her fingers around the back of his neck in small, continuous circles. He nuzzled into her neck, putting hot, open mouthed kisses all along her skin. Lucy made a sound when he bit at her ear, and Natsu decided he like that noise.

It was then that she began rubbing her thighs together as she pushed her hips deeper into his, anticipation engulfing her movements.

"Lucy?" He asked with wide eyes, the concept of how far this could go altering in his mind.

She nodded with a shy smile on her lips. He grinned wildly, tackling her chest in a crushing hug, mumbling a thank you to the girl before kissing up and down her neck and then back down to her chest.

His tongue dipped down into the crevice created by her collarbone, and her hips flew up harshly into his as she let out a deep moan. Natsu's breath hitched as pangs of pleasure spiked up his spine. He lifted himself upright, slowly pressing her hips down onto the mattress with his own.

"N-Natsu… I…" Her voice trailed off into a moan as he began rubbing her sides as he had done when they first started, his hips rocking against hers as he worked her sides. She threw her arms above her head, her breaths transforming into soft pants, almost inaudible pleads of _more more more_ escaping her lips. The taste of her skin was taking over every inch of his tongue as he let his mouth travel onto her shoulder, rubbing her arms all the way up to her wrists. As he began working back up to her inner body, he left tongue-laced kisses up her inner forearm.

"N-Natsu I- I want you to… to…" She mumbled into his ear in a needy, anxious voice.

"Where do you want me, Lucy?" He asked in a loud whisper, watching as her hand traveled south of her stomach.

"D-Down..." She breathed, watching him through half-lidded eyes.

More than willing to comply, Natsu scooted off of her and wordlessly kissed down her chest, over her bra, and down the middle of her abdomen, resting his lips on the waistline of her pink shorts. As his torso hovered over her lower body, she dug her heels into the mattress, pulling herself closer to him and elevating her hips up into the air by draping her legs across his thighs.

That was when he caught her scent. It was dizzying, and Natsu was caught off guard as the new aroma enveloped his sense of smell.

Without thinking, Natsu picked up the carefully-folded scarf and pinned it over her eyes, leaning forward to kiss her neck.

She squealed.

Moving from her jawline to her collarbone and down to her cleavage, he began kneading the scarf in his palms as she heaved her chest through shaky breaths.

As his lips met the edge of her bra, he frowned.

_I hate this thing._

He placed the scarf on the floor delicately before returning his eyes to Lucy's body, snaking his hands underneath her midsection and lifting her to get a grip on the clasp of her bra. As she dangled in suspense, her arms sprawled outwards and her head dipping backwards, the boy began fiddling with the contraption.

The boy cursed under his breath.

It wouldn't come off.

Instead of ruining the mood and asking Lucy to help him, Natsu let his hands travel down to the small of her back, rubbing his thumbs into the dimples of her back and kissing her neck. Her legs began wrapping around him, her hips rolling furiously as he pressed his palms fully into the oh-so sensitive dips above her hips.

"Natsu… Bra… Now!" She cried out, grabbing his wrists and guiding them up her back. Begging the skies to give him the ability to break the clasp's hold, Natsu lifted her up once again and began clawing at her bra. She arched her back, pressing her chest against his with a groan, and by some miracle, the evil device popped open. She arched forward, pulling the fabric off of her chest as Natsu ever-so-slowly lowered her down onto the mattress.

With vigor, she slung the lacy devil across the room, and Natsu was face to face with the chest every man in the guild had fantasized about.

They were glistening with sweat, light pink pearls placed perfectly in the center of each. Her breasts heaved with her ragged panting, and Natsu could only stare in wonder at how gorgeous they were.

"Don't… Don't just stare…" Lucy breathed, licking her lips in anticipation.

With pleasure, Natsu dove down, running his lips across her untouched skin, the taste of salty sweat dancing on his tongue. He ran his tongue through her cleavage, the girl shuddering as he reached her jawline.

"Lucy… you taste like salt…" He rasped.

The girl held her breath.

"...I like it." Natsu breathed as he let his teeth trap the edge of her ear.

"Ooooh!" Lucy moaned wildly, writhing underneath him and catching him by surprise.

Goosebumps traveling up his spine at the sound of her voice. Natsu let her robust breast seep through the crevices of his fingers, squeezing and kneading them with more force as he slowly kissed his way back to her chest. As his lips met the area his palms were covering, he removed his hand and began to lick in circular motions around her hardened jewel, entertaining the other with the tips of his finger.

"Please… Oh, Natsu, please!" She screamed, her hands pulling at the muscles of his neck. He obliged willingly, placing a suckling kiss upon her nipple.

She took in a sharp gasp and froze in place.

Worried he had done something wrong, Natsu lifted his head.

"Was...Was that bad?"

A deep shudder erupted from the girl, her hand flying behind his head and pressing his mouth back against her pearl.

"More."

Her sudden demand caught him off-guard, a moan of surprise and satisfaction echoing from his throat and against her flesh.

"_Fuck!_" she shouted, her head flinging back against the pillow.

Oh, he had found a very sweet spot.

Snaking his hand behind her neck, pressing his finger into the beginnings of her spine, he took his teeth to her nipple and let out a breathy moan, a devilish grin on his lips as he awaited her voice once again. She gave him more than a moan, though.

Lucy's hands shot down to his pants, clinging to his belt buckle as if her life depended on it.

"Oh come on, Lucy, let's play a lil' more~" He teased, more than satisfied with her reaction, but he wasn't done torturing her just yet.

Yielding slightly to her demands, Natsu released her breasts from his attention, bringing his hands to her waist as he kissed down her stomach, passed her naval, and over the fabric of her shorts, resting just below the hem. He allowed his fingers to dip ever-so slightly beneath the pink cloth, only to teasingly pull above them and massage her aching pelvic muscles.

A forceful, shaky breath rattled throughout her body, her thighs clasping down on his hands at the powerful surge of energy.

"Oh, Natsu!" She cried, groping his back muscles and feverishly raising her hips into his. It wasn't an orgasm, but Natsu could tell he needed to slow down if he wanted her- and him for that matter- to last.

In order to sustain her, the boy sat up, removing his lips and hands from her skin and taking his body out of her reach. She whimpered in agony, her eyes begging him to return.

With a smirk of satisfaction, Natsu used her legs to draw her up against him, his thighs elevating her into the air. He distracted her with his hands, letting his fingers rub her softly on her lower thighs and traveling in any direction but up.

"Lucy… Lucy, do you want it?" He teased, prodding her as his fingers danced on a straight path across her thighs.

The girl nodded dumbly, no words escaping her lips as she panted madly.

"Hmmm? I can't hear you-"

"Fuck, Natsu, yes!" She rasped, her eyes glaring at him ferociously as her hands tore at his pants, only to be blocked by his belt.

Relishing in her demands, Natsu slid his hands into her shorts, stretching them away from her skin as he slipped them off of her hips. The same lacy black panties he had seen before, on the night he was forced to strip Lucy because of her injuries, were revealed. She threw her hips up as she tore the shorts from her legs, the scent of her arousal sending his senses into overdrive.

His head flew down to kiss the edges of her panties, the scent strong enough to drive even a normal human mad. Using his thumb to move the fabric to the side, he let his tongue slide into her folds to get the first taste of her sex.

"_Oooh!_"

Her roar of pleasure filled the room, her voice hitching and her hands tearing at the bed sheets. His head flew up, worrying he had hurt her based on the strength of her reaction.

"Whoa, Lucy… Are you okay?"

The girl nodded furiously, the physicality of her arousal driving him out of his mind.

"Heh...You're a lil' spitfire, aren't ya Lucy?" Natsu teased, letting his fingers pull her panties farther to the side.

"C'mon Natsu…" She ground out. "Do somethingggg….."

The slayer placed his thumb on her outer fold, scrunching up the fabric of her panties and kissing the skin just above her core. Shaky breath after shaky breath, Lucy locked her hand around his loose wrist, dragging his fingers to her entrance.

He locked eyes with her once more, asking for affirmation once more before going any further. With her eyes closed and chest heaving, she nodded furiously, the anticipation slowly strangling both of them. He inhaled slightly as he dipped into her, his calloused fingers rubbing the sides of her sex. She squealed in pleasure, her muscles tightening down on him. Natsu felt encouraged by her reaction, digging his fingers in again, slightly deeper this time, causing Lucy to turn her head and scream into the pillow. He thrust in again, curling his fingers against the walls leading up to her gated area. The boy pulled out of her, watching as her arousal slowly dripped down his hand.

"Na… Natsu… I can't- I can't anymore!" She pleaded, making a clumsy grab for his belt. Natsu knew she was nearing her limit. Lucy couldn't wait any longer, and neither could he. He yanked down her panties in a swift motion, and she made a mad dash to remove them from her body, smashing her hips into Natsu's in the process. They both stopped for a moment to let out a low groan. Lucy's wet sex against his hard on was too much for him.

"Fucking hell Lucy…" He ground out, standing up to take off his pants. He wobbled slightly, not expecting to be weak at the knees. Natsu let his pants drop to the floor, trying to stay in control while Lucy was preoccupied with trying to touch him. He threw his body back onto the bed, placing himself before Lucy's locked knees.

Slowly, agonizingly, he pried her shapely thighs apart, her virgin sex finally in sight. It was a deeper pink, the color reddened by his previous actions, and the scent pouring from inside begged him closer.

As his hands traveled behind her legs, her hands shot down, grabbing at his shaft through his boxers. He did everything he could to hold her off, but her hands rubbing against his throbbing erection was too much.

Natsu kicked off his boxers and flung them away, lifting Lucy higher and kissing directly on her entrance.

"_Waaah!_" She wailed at the top of her lungs, her hands clawing at the back of his head.

"Shit..." The boy rasped out.

Trying to gather his thoughts, Natsu rested his forehead on her pelvic area, unknowingly breathing hot air onto her swollen sex as he tried to prepare himself for what was coming.

"N-NATSU! NATSU _NOW_!"

This was it. Natsu couldn't hold back any longer, and she was going to lose it at any minute. He dragged her hips closer to his, situating himself so he had a good view and an easy path.

Their sexes touched for the first time as he set his tip at her entrance, her arousal mixing with his own.

It was erotic, the sensation drawing shuddering moans from each other's lips.

He slowly pushed inside of her, centimeter by intoxicating centimeter. She was tight around him; euphorically tight.

She let out a muffled moan… but it sounded different to the boy.

He looked up, intrigued by her noise, and his eyes set on her scrunched up face.

"H-Holy shit, am I hurting you, Lucy?!" The boy cried, panic shooting through his every vein.

The girl shook her head shallowly but swiftly. "N-No… No, I'm fine. It's supposed to hurt a little, just... Keep going…"

"Th-That's… That's not fair...!" He protested, obviously distraught over Lucy being in pain while he felt nothing but utter bliss. He was vaguely aware that a girl's first time was supposed to be painful, but for some reason that thought hadn't crossed his mind until now.

What do I do? I want to go deeper, but I don't want to hurt her…

As his gaze traveled from her eyes to their conjoined sexes, his mind took in the sight of her most sensitive spots.

"Lu-Lucy…Hey, look at me, Lucy. I'm gunna try… try and make it better for ya, okay?"

Her eyes traveled down and locked with his. He grinned as he held her gaze.

Leaning forward slowly, he pressed into her gently to open her passage, his length stroking both of her euphoric nerves. His left hand snaked behind her neck, his fingers walking up and down the ridges of her spine as his right hand entertained her favored breast and nipple. His mouth lowered itself upon the nape of her neck, alternating between sucking, licking, and biting as he gingerly broke down her barrier.

Her moans of discomfort ceased and were soon replaced with the pleasured groans he had come to love.

In order to pick up the pace they had obtained, the boy swirled inside of her, stimulating virgin areas with a heated shaft only he could deliver. Her left wall was stroked up and down in small increments as he inched up higher, moving down lower to repeat the same actions on her right wall with more confidence. She moaned deeply as he began pulsating his heat in time with her heart, his hands and lips still engulfing her softest spot. Plucking on her pearl with his fingers, his palm pressing against the underside of her breast, he began sucking vigorously on her neck to mark his presence, still inching deeper inside of her with his warm sex. His fingers dug deeper into her neck as he began to rub the previously-tensed muscles of her jaw. Her pants were becoming more and more ragged once again as she began tightening her muscles in time with her own pulse, the sensation taking his mind farther and farther from his body.

"_De-Deep… Deeper!_" She pleaded breathlessly, raising her hips to bid him farther. Her hands clung to his lower back as her entire body began shaking in delight.

Natsu hit her upper wall at last and a fevered gasp pierced his ears, her hand shooting down and squeezing his base. The strong grip of her hand pushed a shaky breath from his chest onto her neck, an immense shudder rippling through his muscles and tightening his hold on her sweetest areas.

"_OH, NATSUUU!_"

A wild roar in the shape of his name filled the room as her arms clenched onto his waist. The sound echoed through her spine as her head flew back into his grasp, her muscles tensing all at once. Her back arched as puppet strings pulled her stomach into the air, her legs locking as her sex caved onto his, wetness engulfing her insides in a rush of orgasmic pleasure.

He halted, his entire existence in awe at the beauty of her climax.

"_Fuck, Lucy, I need you!_" He cried, the sound of her voice screaming his name echoing through every fiber of his being. He swiveled his hips on hers, rolling to his side as her muscles slowly went limp. His hands drew her against him as she slowly came off of her high.

"Oh, Natsu… Natsu I love you… I just… I-I love you… oh…" She declared through shaky breaths, her body going numb as the surge of energy left her body. He continued to roll inside of her, but she failed to return his motions.

"C'mon, Lucy… Just a little more…" He heaved, liquid desire pooling in his belly, warming his entire body. But that fire couldn't hold a candle to the scorching heat inside of Lucy.

She regained her senses, grabbing again for what was left of his shaft, moving with him in rhythm to his thrusts. Lucy moaned, pulling herself closer and pushing him deeper inside of her. She kissed at his neck, favoring his scar. He shuddered as her lips traced over the sensitive spot.

Natsu wrapped his hands around the girl's back, pulling her as close as he possibly could. As he found his way around every inch of her, she began rubbing beneath what little of his base she could reach, her hands moving down to fondle his testicles and press into his taint. He grunted, and her walls clamped down on him. As she became tighter and tighter, his sex twitching inside of her, He nuzzled into her hair, panting and fighting for air.

"Lucy… Lucy I'm gonna…"

"Do it… please just… do it." She hissed, squeezing down on his base and biting his scar, forcefully clamping down on his sex.

He caved, surrendering to the release that his body craved so desperately. Natsu tensed, screaming into Lucy's neck as stars exploded before his eyes. He forgot how to breathe for a moment as they clung to each other, riding through the motions of pleasure that swept them away from themselves.

After a few moments, he opened his eyes, slowly focusing on Lucy. She looked up at him with a sleepy yet satisfied smile. Natsu rubbed her hip soothingly, easing himself out of her. He wiped the sweat off his forehead as laughter bubbled up his throat, gleefully throwing his arms around Lucy.

Their lips met, less vigorously now. Soft and slow, without any real rush or worry. A victory kiss, Natsu decided. He brushed the wet hair on her face aside, gently cupping her cheek. Neither of them spoke for a while, their bodies still numb. Natsu felt the fog slowly fade away from his brain.

"Lucy… We should do that more often..." He murmured, unsure of what else to tell her. Lucy blinked at him, as if she was expecting something. A light from outside caught his eye. It was the very end of the meteor shower; they had missed it while they were… preoccupied.

"Heh… looks like we missed the shower." The boy chuckled, looking back into her eyes. They were still staring at him, awaiting something. He thought for a moment on what it was that Lucy could be expecting. Was she disappointed? No, that wasn't it…

"Oh." He said out loud, wanting to smack himself for forgetting something so vital. Well, vital for Lucy anyway. He snuggled under the covers with her, breathing in her scent, and taking pride in the fact that it was coupled with his own.

"I love you, Lucy." He spoke earnestly, a faint red returning to his cheeks. Natsu knew that he would never get that line right, even if it was heartfelt. He could never fit everything he wanted to tell her in those three little words. It seemed so obvious to him how he felt about her, as indescribable as it was; that didn't mean that she didn't need to hear it, though.

"I really do, you know." He told her, sweetly kissing her forehead. She snuggled against him, the happiest smile encompassing her face. They watched the last of the meteors fall curled up together. Natsu could tell that Lucy wasn't paying attention though, and he wasn't doing much better in his sleepy state.

She started drawing seemingly random patterns on his leg once again, but he was able to catch silent words in her drawings.

_Natsu… I love you so much._

His heart swelled with love; love for her. He laid a lazy kiss in her hair before pulling her deeper into his embrace.

"You're so weird…" He whispered lightly, his eyes drooping closed. He placed a more careful kiss on Lucy's neck as she started to doze off.

"So wonderfully, wonderfully weird…" Natsu finished, Lucy's steady heartbeat lulling him to sleep.

* * *

Yay they finally did the do

I'm going to take this moment to real talk with you guys about something that we can't pay enough attention to: consent. My writing partner and I were very careful to make this smut consensual. We've been very upset recently over the disturbingly large number of people who romanticize rape in their fics, and the lack of people who are calling them out on it. Rape can be used as a literary device in tragic stories, because it is a tragedy. But it's not romantic. So if we could all just please _please _stop. Rape ≠ sex, and it not a substitution for the word sex. Consent is your best friend. This has been a psa.

Feedback is appreciated!


	24. Chapter 24

Sorry this update is late! This chapter is a whole 21 pages long, and it took like 77895876 years oh god

* * *

The sun rose high in the sky that morning, the meteor shower from last night followed by clear skies. The bright rays shone through the window and into Natsu's eyes, the floors and sunlight bathing the room in gold. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes, his gaze setting on the girl before him.

His heart skipped a beat at the sight of her, all curled in on herself with her lips parted slightly. He shuddered, a strange, almost out-of-body feeling settling over him. Natsu sat up, the woolen blanket falling from his bare chest. He caught sight of Lucy's bra hanging on one of the bed posts, and then other articles of clothing haphazardly slung and thrown around the room. Natsu flushed, coming to the realization that not only was he naked, Lucy was too.

_I slept with Lucy…_

He slowly turned to look at the girl. His movements were careful, as if she would wake up if he so much as breathed wrong. And at the moment, he didn't want her to wake up. Not yet. He needed time to think.

_Holy hell… I slept with Lucy!_

Everything had been happening so fast the last few weeks; he had been struggling to keep up. He would go with the motions, enjoying every moment of it, but now it was silent. Now the weight of his reality was crushing down on his shoulders. Now he had time to realize that, yes, this was real, everything that had happened was real, and last night was very very real.

He took a deep breath in, stretching his arms. The air was stale with the smell of sex and Lucy, and Natsu found that he was partial to the scent- Mostly because it smelled like Lucy. Although, he was very aware of how new it was to him, and as time passed, the aroma would probably grow on him. Sitting there in the sheets, he and Lucy naked and fulfilled, the room quiet and still… All of this was so new; he didn't really know what to think.

For a time, his entire aspect was muted. He didn't _feel_ different, but he knew something was different. Natsu fully recognized that his situation, or lack thereof, was what Cana would call 'the morning after'. He heard her talking about that phenomenon sometimes when he came into the guild especially early. She would say things like, 'He almost woke up when I snuck off!' and 'Hell, I couldn't even find some of my clothes! I ended up leaving em' so I could get outta there!'

Natsu knew in his gut that his position differed from Cana's. Cana didn't love those men. But he couldn't help but wonder if Lucy would want to leave like Cana always did. For a painful moment, panic made his throat constrict. But he came to the conclusion that that was silly. Lucy loved him; she wouldn't leave.

He faltered, his chest tightening.

_Lucy really does love me… She made love with me… And she __**stayed**__._

As he looked back on the last few years that he had known Lucy, Natsu felt like he was the last person to catch onto the idea that he and Lucy were meant to be with each other. Mira always said they were bound to end up together; he just didn't know she meant _this_ kind of together. It was weird to think that he was the only person who had known such a wonderful part of Lucy and even weirder to think that he would be the only person to ever know her that way. He trusted that would be the case though, because he trusted her. She said they were going to be together forever on the night they ran away, and after last night, he was sure of it. That was a good thing, too; he couldn't possibly go on without her, and not just because dragons mate for life. Lucy had become a part of him that could never be changed. She had something of his that he could never get back; she was his first, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

And he was surprisingly certain that she felt the same way.

Surely this was all a miracle of some sort, because Natsu didn't remember ever doing anything to deserve her pure affections. He couldn't really describe what he was feeling at that time, or even what he was supposed to be feeling, but one thing he could say for sure was that he was happy.

Yes, he was very happy.

"So, how was that meteor shower, Natsu?"

Natsu flinched when he heard Happy's voice, the cat staring up at him with a devilish smirk. The boy reached down and ruffled his friend's fur.

"I definitely saw stars, buddy."

Happy giggled into his paw, scurrying across the floor to the fridge. He took out a fish and a glass of milk, making his way to the door.

"I'm going to eat on the roof. It's actually really nice up there! When you two are done… cleaning up… you should come check it out~"

With that the door creaked closed, the click of the knob causing the girl to shift.

"Mmm…"

Natsu turned and watched as her eyes fluttered open, her nose scrunching up at the sunlight shining through the window. She turned away from the window and towards him, her eyes meeting his for the first time.

They held some sort of new sparkle.

A beautiful new sparkle.

An abrupt desire for Lucy's thoughts came to him. Did Lucy feel different? What did that sparkle mean? Could he, perhaps, be putting too much thought into this? He held his breath, not knowing what to say to her. She rubbed her eyes as the blanket fell from her chest, her breasts becoming visible to the world. She must have felt the morning air on her exposed skin as she looked down, her face paling at the sight of her bare chest. She flinched as if she was going to try and hide underneath the blanket, but she caught sight of him before she did. A calming smile came to her lips as she lowered her hands, the blanket covering only some of her breasts as she leaned back into the pillows, her face tilted so she could keep her gaze centered on him.

"Good morning." She spoke in a sweet, loving voice that made his heart melt.

"Mornin'." He said softly after a moment, trying not to disturb the serene air in the room. His voice brought a red tint to her cheeks as her smile spread, her chin slowly ducking beneath the sheets in a spell of shyness. He could hear her giggling under her breath.

A stupid grin plastered on his face as they both started to laugh, neither of them really knowing what else to do.

He leaned over her, placing a delicate kiss on her cheek as he closed the curtains beside her. She hummed contentedly as she pushed her hand through her hair, running her fingers through the tangles.

She made a move to remove herself from beneath the comforter, bringing the thin sheet up with her. He could see the silhouette of her body through the sheets, something he felt a new appreciation for. She slipped over him and stepped onto the floor, her bare feet traveling over to the bathroom.

"Hey, I'm going to take a bath, okay?" She said cheerfully, her smile spreading all the way to her eyes.

Natsu nodded as she opened the door. Before she stepped in, she held his gaze for a moment, her eyes holding some sort of message he couldn't quite decipher. She closed the door and turned on the water, and Natsu was left with his thoughts once again.

The boy sat for a few minutes, trying to think what that look Lucy had given him meant when he realized she wasn't humming the way she always did.

The floorboards creaked as he stood up, Natsu finding his boxers and slipping them on as he travelled to the door. She had left it cracked open.

"Hey… Lu?" He called out to her, knocking on the door lightly as to not accidentally push it open.

He didn't hear a response, but something in his gut told him to open the door.

He slid it open ever-so slowly as to give her a chance to react before peeking his head into the room. Her eyes were set on him, a shy smile coming to her lips as he slipped half of his body inside.

"'Bout time you came in."

The boy chuckled as he shut the door behind him.

"Sorry, I didn't quite catch onto what you meant."

The girl scooted forward in the warm water, giving the boy ample room to slide in behind her. He slid his boxers off once again, the girl looking down shyly as he did.

_She's so cute…_

He lowered his body into the water, Lucy leaning back against him as he got settled. He heated the water slightly to a temperature of his liking, Lucy sinking down into the warmth with a comfortable sigh.

Her skin felt natural against his. It was comforting. As he sat in the bath with Lucy, the warm water soaking away the sweat and sex of last night, Natsu came to a conclusion.

The life he'd made was a good one.

Natsu saw Lucy beginning to sink deeper in the water, her head struggling to stay upright. Her eyes began drooping as she lazily let her hands rest around his.

"Come on Lucy, don't fall asleep in here! I keep on tellin' ya: you can't go drowning this early in the morning!" He teased her, pulling her closer to him and squeezing her tight.

"Sh-Shut up..." She grumbled, scrunching up her face at his humor. Natsu took the opportunity to lean in close to her face.

"Hey, thanks for everything, Lu." He whispered. Natsu wasn't trying to be vague, but there was just a lot he had in his life thanks to Lucy. And he was justly grateful. She giggled under her breath, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.

She settled back into his arms again. It was quiet, only the sounds of swishing water echoing in the small bathroom. He peeked around to look at Lucy's face. Her eyes were downcast, and she had a tiny, worried frown etched on her lips.

"Lucy, what's the matter?" He asked, his tone concerning as he gently squeezed her knee. She began swirling her finger atop the surface of the water, her eyes still lost in thought.

"It's nothing… it's just…" She paused as if she was trying to form the right words.

"It's just that…We probably should have been more careful is all."

Natsu frowned. "What do you mean?"

Lucy sighed as she opened her eyes, looking over her shoulder at him.

"Well, Natsu, we didn't use any sort of protection or anything. I could have gotten pregnant!" She blushed as the words left her lips, promptly waving her hands in front of her face.

"N-Not that I don't want your kids or anything! Just… Well, I don't think I'm ready yet…"

He tensed, his eyes widening at her confession. His mind reeled for a moment before he grabbed up her hands in his.

"Wait, does that mean that you want kids?!" He blurted out dumbly. She nodded somewhat hesitantly at his seriousness.

"So… you mean one day you… you will be ready? You'd want to have a family with me?" He asked, his words dripping with awe.

The girl gave him a confused look before paling, her body tensing slightly.

"Well… yeah… I mean, do you… Not want kids?"

Natsu paused for a moment, hearing a hint of fear in her voice. He furrowed his brow.

"Well, no it's not that. It's just… Well, I never really thought about it. I never thought I'd find someone who wanted to have a family with me, so it didn't really occur to me to think about it..."

She continued to stare at him, her eyes searching his for some sort of preference either way. She sighed and turned away, leaning back up against him in thought.

"Well, I think one day, I would like a kid or two, but… I really don't think we're ready yet…" She uttered thoughtfully.

"So, I think condoms would be a good thing for now, don't you?"

Natsu blanked as she looked at him once again. He snapped out of his shock after a moment.

"Y-You want to do it again?!" He exclaimed in shock.

The girl flinched as her eyes widened comically. "D-Don't you?!"

The boy nodded furiously, almost giving himself whiplash in the process.

"Y-Yeah! All the time!" He proclaimed.

Lucy laughed at him. "You idiot…"

He happily gave her a loud raspberry kiss on her neck. She squealed in surprise, sending them both into a fit of laughter with water splashing everywhere. Only the sound of Lucy's stomach rumbling stopped them.

"Mm… I'm thinking… Breakfast?" Natsu teased, poking her belly. She hummed in thought.

"Ahh! But I don't want to get out!" She whined, trying to sink deeper into the warm water.

"Well, what do you wanna do then?" He asked. Lucy held her chin in her hand for a moment, and then turned to him.

"I want a bubble bath!" She told him determinedly. He smiled, reaching for the soap as she leaned forward to turn the faucet back on, blasting the hot water. Steam quickly covered the bathroom mirror as bubbles filled the tub.

They spent the next several minutes acting like children, making Santa soap beards and squirting water at each other with their mouths and hands.

"Hey, hey Natsu, wash my back for me?" She giggled, picking up a rag and thoroughly soaking it in the bathwater before handing it to him. He blinked as she turned around.

She wanted him to wash her? Well, alright.

The boy took the rag in his hand and pushed her wet, golden locks over her shoulder. She arched forward, humming a simple tune as Natsu began rubbing her back in sweeping circles. Her skin was sinfully soft as usual, but the steamy bath water and trail of bubbles left behind by the rag gave it a radiant glow. He felt the need to be gentle, as if his touch might aggravate her silky skin. He appreciated how delicate her skin was, what with his own being calloused and scarred.

As he washed the bubbles on her back away with the steamy water, he found his rag travelling around her shoulder and nearing the front of her body. He didn't go any farther, however, until she leaned back and gave him silent permission.

She rested her head on his chest as her own came into view, bubbles obstructing his view from the rest of her body. Using one hand to slide her hair away from her front, he used the other to drag the water onto her breasts and wash away the bubbles. He took pride as he looked down, noticing a mark his lips had made on the nape of her neck the night before. He moved the rag in continuous circles around her chest, covering every area in warm, soapy water. Lucy closed her eyes and smiled contently as he worked, letting out hums of satisfaction every now and then as she let her toes dance around the faucet.

As he finished washing every area of her upper body, Lucy took the rag and began running it up her legs, the motion entrancing him as he let his eyes travel with her hands.

_She is so beautiful…_

As she finished scrubbing her lower body, Lucy took the rag and began tracing up his legs that she had been sitting between. He reveled in the sensation as she turned around and began scrubbing his chest as well, paying special attention to his neck and collarbone. He groaned comfortably she scrubbed down near his hips, the girl humming as she allowed him to clean his more intimate areas himself while she used the hand shower head to wash her hair. Her hibiscus-scented shampoo filled his nose, the aroma bringing a smile to his face as he recognized the scent of her hair.

"Your shampoo smells amazing, Lucy."

She giggled as she leaned back towards him.

"Scrub it for me?"

He smiled as he brought his fingers into her hair, kneading her scalp as the bubbles began gathering heavily in her hair.

"You're milking this for all it's worth, aren't ya?"

"Mhmm!"

He chuckled at her simple confession, taking the shower head into his hands as he ran the water through her soapy hair. He made sure not to get any soap in her eyes as she tilted her head back, allowing the boy to pull the same trick with the conditioner. As he finished tending to her hair, the girl turned around with a sly smile.

"Now then, let's do your hair!" Lucy cooed, grabbing her shampoo and twisting off the cap.

"N-No! I don't want my hair to smell like flowers!" He defended, pushing the bottle away.

"Aww, come oonnn~ Cherry hair and the scent of flowers; it'll be so sweet!" she teased, threatening him with a dab of floral-scented liquid.

He dove under the water as he took her hand, washing away the evil soap under the surface. He bobbed his head back on top of the water as he quickly dove for his own shampoo, lathering his hair before she had a chance to stop him.

"Ha! I win!" He proclaimed as he reached for the shower head.

Lucy grabbed it before he could reach it.

"Oh, you're no fun!" She whined, spraying his face with water before washing away the bubbles. He grinned triumphantly as she washed the suds away, relaxing at the touch of her fingertips on his scalp.

Natsu made a quick turn to grab for the shower head, spraying Lucy in the face as revenge. She shrieked, wrestling the hose out his grip in a kind of tug-of-war. The boy gave Lucy a mischievous smile, and let go of the hose all at once. He was surprised when Lucy flung back and the shower head began spray spastically along the walls and floors.

Natsu and Lucy shouted in alarm, making a mad dash to gain control of the hose. They eventually did, but not before letting the bathroom become soaked.

Natsu slapped his hands over his eyes as Lucy exited the tub. She filled her arms with fluffy towels, handing one to Natsu as he drained the water. They giggled, looking around their mess of a bathroom. They would clean it later. Probably.

"C'mon, let's get breakfast. I'm starved." Natsu laughed. He lingered in the bathroom after Lucy left to find clothes. He looked at his reflection in the mirror after wiping away the steam. He looked the same. Limp, pink hair fell over his eyes. Bright, wide eyes staring back at him. Natsu steamed his hair with a practiced hand, straightening and spiking his hair with little hissing sounds.

Content with his appearance, he went to find Lucy, who was brushing out her hair and humming something upbeat. He raised an eyebrow at the clothes laid out on the bed.

"Did you pick out my clothes?" He asked, slightly embarrassed. She turned to see him with a smile.

"Oh, yeah. I just saw them when I was getting mine. Are they okay?" She asked. Natsu smiled, bringing her in for a hug and kissing her temple.

"You're a real weirdo, you know that?" He told her jokingly. Natsu liked this side of Lucy; all cutesy and whatnot. He found that he could take a liking to this oddly domestic lifestyle. It was easy to get lost in this kind of new routine.

Pulling his shirt over his head, an idea popped into Natsu's thoughts.

"Hey Lucy, c'mere, I wanna try something." He said, tapping her shoulder so she would turn around. They had a strange silent agreement not to see each other naked which Natsu didn't quite understand, but he respected it anyway.

The couple sat on the bed, facing each other.

"I wanna dry your hair." He put simply. She blushed unexpectedly.

"W-Why?" Lucy stuttered. He shrugged nonchalantly.

"Your hair is soft, and I like touching it." He laughed, "Don't worry, I do it to my hair all the time!"

"Well… Alright, just don't burn me!" She commanded, turning around where she sat. He chuckled at her, wasting no time running his fingers through her long, golden hair. Natsu wasn't lying when he said he liked her hair. He had always possessed a strange affinity for gold, but he never questioned it.

Not to mention her hair always smelled like flowers.

He warmed up his palms and his fingertips, letting the heat steam away the water from Lucy's saturated hair. Sometimes his hands would brush her neck or accidentally bump along her back as he brushed out her hair, and every time she would squirm and make a small cooing noise. Natsu thought it was cute, how he could draw those little sounds from her. Gradually, the little brushes against her skin stopped being accidents, and he was still combing his fingers through her silky hair long after it was dry.

His hands settled on the back of her neck. He scooted closer to her, massaging his thumbs slowly into the nape of her neck. She let her hands travel up to meet his, resting them there for a moment before starting to drag them lower.

She stopped all at once and jumped off the bed, quickly traveling towards the kitchen. Her sudden actions left Natsu confused and wondering if he had done something wrong.

"Lucy…? You okay?"

She opened the fridge door and grabbed a yogurt from the door.

"H-Huh? Oh, nothing. I just- uh- I was hungry!" She stuttered, making Natsu raise an eyebrow. "A-Anyways, we should get going. I'll just be a minute…"

He traveled up behind her, looking over her shoulder to figure out what had her all worked up. Her breath hitched.

"A-Actually, you know what? I'll just… I'll just eat this on the way! Let's head out!"

Natsu frowned.

"What's the big rush?" Natsu asked, absolutely at a loss for what Lucy's sudden mood change was about. She whirled around and gave him a pointed look, her cheeks were flushed and her chest was puffed out. Where had he seen that look before?

"Oh… Oh!" Natsu's face turned red at the sudden realization that somewhere along the line, he had made the need to go get those condoms _extremely urgent_. "R-Right, let's go then!" He said, grabbing her hand and stepping into his sandals as they raced out the door and down the mountain, Happy flying close behind them as he heard them race out the door.

Natsu's heart beat erratically in his chest. He had no idea such small touches could have that kind of effect on her. Natsu took that as sort of an advantage on his part, although she could probably unravel him just as easily. But to think she was so _eager_…

The town seemed noisier than usual. There wasn't any sort of festival going on, so Natsu assumed it was due to the beautiful weather. That, and he was becoming accustomed to the quiet atmosphere on the mountain.

The team stopped in front the nearest pharmacy. Natsu and Lucy's twin blushes hadn't gone anywhere. They exchanged a questioning look, as if silently asking each other what to do next.

"What are we even doing here?! Why didn't you come on the roof with me?" Happy whined, interrupting the couple from their thoughts.

"Sorry Haps, we got a little... sidetracked." Natsu told him, scratching the back of his head nervously. Happy pouted, looking skeptical of the boy. But before he could say anything incriminating, Lucy piped up.

"I'm- I'm going to pick up some, uh, things here. You boys get... other stuff, okay?" She said, not catching either of the boys' eyes. Natsu nodded vigorously, grabbing Happy before he could questions. He made a mental note to thank Lucy for being brilliant later.

"What're we buying, Natsu" Happy asked, no longer sounding suspicious. Natsu's steps faltered. What were they going to get? They get really only came to town to get the-

"Natsu? Earthland to Natsu!" Happy snapped.

"Milk! Milk and fish!" Natsu blurted loudly.

"Yay! Fish!" Happy cried, sailing higher into the air. Natsu sighed in relief, scanning the street.

That was when he spotted it.

It was pure white, not a hint of ivory in its wake. The top was fitted, the edges embroidered with jewels. At the waistline, the fabric gathered into a bundle of small flowers made of silk, the swoop of fabric reaching around back and draping over another layer, one that reached to the ground with a train of that covered the floor. A ribbon traveled up the back, lacing together like a corset and meeting in a gathering of bundled fabric that locked above the train. Placed atop the mannequin was a fingertip-length veil with floral trim that finished off the look perfectly. It stood alone, spinning on a dais under a spotlight in the bridal shop window, arrangements of flowers placed on the floor beside it.

"Ah, I see you have spotted our piece de resistance, Monsieur!" A fancy man called out to him from the open door. He stepped out beside him and looked upon the dress with pride. "Yes, this beautiful wedding dress was hand sewn out of silk and silk organza with a natural waistline in a ball gown silhouette with a lace up back and chapel train. There is embellishment around the sweetheart neckline and trim around the veil made of the finest silk tulle that would bring out the beauty of any blushing bride. Yes, you are a man of fine taste! Wouldn't Monsieur's treasured woman look absolutely stunning in such a fine wedding gown?"

"Um, yeah. Yeah, she'd look perfect in that." Natsu said slowly, still a bit shocked by all the words that had come out of the charismatic salesman's mouth. His gaze traveled back to the dress, he pictured Lucy in it, all smiles with an armful of flowers.

…Would Lucy want to get married?

He blanked. The thought had never occurred to him. Dragons don't get married or have any sort of ceremony, so, consequently, he shouldn't either. But would Lucy?

"Wah, look at that dress, Natsu!" Lucy cried as she rounded the corner with a small paper bag in tow. She ran up to the window, sparkles flying out of her eyes in a way similar to Erza's whenever she spotted a beautiful wedding dress. He could tell she wasn't thinking as the words began spilling out of her mouth.

"Oh, Natsu, my mother's wedding dress looked just like this! I used to look at the pictures all the time as a little girl, putting on my prettiest dress and dancing around the room, pretending it was hers. I would gather flowers from the garden and set up all my dolls in a row as I said my vows to my favorite stuffed bear. I must have done that over a hundred times over the years; it was always so much fun, pretending to be in love and to wear a dress like momma's, and… Umm… What… What are you doing?"

Natsu had jumped up onto a bench next to the shop window.

"Oi! People of the town of Sekura! Listen up!" He grinned down at Lucy, his fists firmly planted on his hips as Lucy's expression changed to one of pure terror that he'd been accustomed to seeing after all the scenes he'd made over the years.

"I've got something to say…" He proclaimed in a lower voice, made more for Lucy, as townspeople gathered around.

"I met Lucy in Harujion Port a lot of years ago. I thought she was really weird at first, and she still is, but, she said she wanted to join my guild. And to this day, bringing her there, and making her my friend, has been the best decision I've ever made. We went on adventures, and we met new friends, and we laughed a lot."

He couldn't take his eyes off her. Her mouth was clamped shut, and her bottom lip was quivering. She had her hands clasped to her heart, her guild mark proudly shown.

"I can't imagine my life without her now." He continued slowly. "Lucy knows me better than anybody! And I love her a lot… More than I can put into words. We're stronger together."

The crowd made oohs and awes of appreciation, some people in the crowd actually crying, hugging their loved ones. He looked to Lucy, who had her hands balled up in her skirt and was letting tears fall freely from her face.

"Natsu…" She whimpered, covering her mouth with her hands. He smiled. Natsu looked outwardly confident, but he was shaking. He knew couldn't stand on that bench much longer, so he figured he would ask before he collapsed (or was arrested for public disturbance).

He hopped off the bench, the tension in the crowd and the air rising with each step he took towards Lucy. She stumbled towards him, obviously shaken herself. He caught her easily.

"Natsu, did you- did you really mean all those things?" She asked through tiny gasps for air.

"Of course." He affirmed. She made a choking noise. The crowd leaned forward anxiously to hear their words.

"Hey, Lu?" He held her chin up with one hand while the other rested on her arm.

"Y-Yeah?" Natsu knew she could tell what was coming. Everyone could. But that's what made it exciting.

"If you say you'll marry me, I will buy you that dress and marry you right here, right now. I know we haven't talked about it, but I just thought you would-"

He was interrupted by her lips crushing against his in a passionate display of affection. The crowd hollered in celebration before they even parted.

"Yes, Natsu. Yes, yes, I love you. I love you!" She cried, their lips meeting again. Lucy laughed harshly.

"How did you know I wanted this?! Did you even plan this?!" She exclaimed. He giggled.

"Nah, but you know, today just seemed like the perfect day for a wedding." He told her sarcastically. She punched him half-heartedly on the arm. Natsu wouldn't tell her it was because of her dream, or even because he loved her, or any of the other billion reasons he had for marrying her. Not yet anyway. He would save those little reasons, he promised, and he would tell her them every day. A new reason for every sunrise they woke up to.

It was a cheesy promise, but it was a promise he would keep.

He heard Happy blubbering at his feet at the display, clinging onto his leg with a wide grin on his face.

"Oh, Natsu, I _knew_ something weird was going on, I just _knew_ it! So, where is it?" The cat asked eagerly.

"W-Where's what?"

"The ring, silly! Where's the ring?"

Natsu blanked.

"Aw, shit! I forgot!" He exclaimed, comically slapping a hand to his forehead. "Lucy, I have to find a ring!"

Lucy laughed tearfully, too overjoyed by the entire situation to care about his mistake.

"You always screw up everything so perfectly! Just see what you can find; I'll try on the dress!"

With that, Lucy was whisked away by a swarm of teary-eyed shop attendants, leaving Natsu in the presence of Happy and the fancy man.

"Ah, Monsieur you are quite the lucky man! To think you would act so boldly in the name of love, it is truly admirable! For your bravery and all of the publicity you have given my shop today, I will give you the dress at a discount price! Yes, you are happy now! Follow me, Monsieur; I will take you to my brother's jewelry shop!"

"Aye Natsu, let's go!"

The man led them a few shops over, leading the boys inside before running off to fetch his brother. Natsu looked down into the glass cases and let his eyes travel over the rings as Happy began eyeing a small charm bracelet that would fit Charla perfectly.

_What kind of ring does she want, anyways?_

"Ah, Monsieur! Welcome to my shop!" A man called out to him. Natsu turned around to see the fancy man once again.

"Uh… weren't you going to go get your brother?" Natsu asked, his eyes spotting an emerald green tie where his crimson-colored tie had previously been.

The man laughed enthusiastically. "Oh Monsieur, you have me confused with my brother Dan! He owns the dress shop a few buildings over. He is Dan the dress man. No, I am his twin brother Ran!"

"Ran… Ran the ring man?"

"Indeed! I am pleased to meet you, Monsieur! Come, I shall find you the perfect ring, yes? You will be pleased!"

Slightly confused by the fact that Ran and Dan had the same scent, Natsu let the man lead him around the store, showing off all of the finest rings on sale. He went on about the cut, karats, and clarity, but Natsu couldn't focus on all of those foreign concepts. There was only one thing on his mind.

_Lucy is actually going to marry me…_

The entire concept of marriage had always confused Natsu. He didn't feel any different about her now than he had a few minutes ago when they were just boyfriend and girlfriend; she was still the most special person in his life, and he was still madly in love with her. It wasn't as if now that they were getting married they were any more sure to be together forever; that had already been decided, after all. The entire concept of marriage was more of a public thing, he supposed. The rings on their fingers would be proof to everyone else that they were going to be together forever, that they belonged to each other.

Lucy had agreed to be with him forever, and this was the day she announced to the world that she loved him; the day she would declare to everyone that she was his mate and was proud of it.

Natsu felt tears welling in his eyes.

_Out of all the men in the world, all the princes and bookworms and smart guys, Lucy chose to be with me… And now she is promising to grow old with me._

He let his mind wander on the idea of growing old with Lucy. They'd walk down the aisle today a married couple, husband and wife. They would stay on the mountain until they got to Igneel, and Natsu would get to introduce his wife to his father. Igneel would love Lucy, he was sure of it. Wendy and Gajeel could be reunited with their parents after Natsu made a way to get up the mountain, so as soon as they got to the top Natsu and Lucy would go back to Fairy Tail to get everyone. None of them would believe that he and Lucy were married, and they would have to spend hours explaining how they got together before traveling back up the mountain. Years would go by and eventually Lucy would want kids, an idea he hadn't really given much thought to but was willing to think about for her. Eventually Lucy's hair would start to go gray, and he would have to comfort her about it no doubt. As much as he loved her golden hair, Natsu was sure she could pull off silver just as well. They'd be together forever, Natsu spending years of his life trying to push back her bangs and taking trips to Mt. Sekura all the time.

It was the perfect future, and it was his.

He was snapped out of his fantasies by soft arms wrapping around him from behind. He turned around to see Lucy smiling up at him, her eyes shining. Her smile quickly turned into a worried frown.

"N-Natsu, what's wrong? You're all teary eyed…"

He shook his head before hugging her close to him, digging his face into her neck with a contented sigh.

"Nothing... Just happy is all."

She blinked at his actions before smiling broadly and returning his hug.

"Natsu… I've never seen you like this…"

He laughed as he pulled back, blinking away the tears that were threatening to fall down his face.

"Heh… Me either. Weird, huh?"

She smiled up at him as she placed a sweet kiss on the bridge of his nose, running her thumbs on the curve of his cheekbones.

The boy let out a forced sniffle before flashing Lucy a cheeky grin. "So, how'd it go? Did the dress fit?"

"Yeah, it fit perfectly! It's like it was made for me! Oh Natsu, it's my dream dress!" She exclaimed enthusiastically, clapping her hands together and tucking them under her chin.

"Oh Madame, my brother would be so pleased to know you are satisfied with his dress! Yes, to make a bride happy is something we take great pride in! You would like a beautiful diamond ring to go with such a gorgeous dress, no? You can see here we have a stunning engagement ring in a cathedral setting, the diamond a princess cut and-"

"No, I don't need a fancy ring. Just a gold band is plenty." Lucy said with a smile.

The boys turned to her with confused looks on their faces, Happy flying over when he heard her words.

"Lucy, don't you want a diamond ring? That's what people do when the get engaged!" Happy told her. Lucy shook her head, and Natsu frowned, touching her hand.

"Are you sure, Lucy?" He asked. Natsu knew that girls generally liked diamonds, and that they were expensive. Was Lucy just trying to save money? He didn't want her to miss out on something she wanted.

"No, I've had enough diamonds in my time. They're just jewels, after all. I just want something simple: a wedding band. One for me and one for you."

Natsu smiled at Lucy's simple honesty. He didn't always understand Lucy's intentions, but she seemed set on having regular, unadorned bands. And that was just fine with him. Natsu didn't really know how these kinds of things worked, and he wasn't one to question anyway.

"Well then Ran, we'll take two gold bands."

"Y-Yes, Monsieur." Ran said flatly as he went behind the counter. The salesman had a glint of defeat in his eyes, the fact he hadn't sold something bigger not sitting well with him. He brought out the matching rings in a small, velvet box and folded it in Natsu's hands. Natsu held onto the box fondly, smiling as Lucy wrapped her hands around his arm.

"Ah, but you still need your something new, no?" Ran asked them, something eager in his eye.

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot!" Lucy exclaimed. Natsu furrowed his brow in confusion.

"What are you guys talking about?"

Ran pounced on the question. "Monsieur, you must have heard the old saying! 'Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a sixpence in your shoe!' Yes, it is a time-honored tradition that a bride incorporates all of these things in her wedding. Perhaps you would like to buy her something new from our collection of jewelry?"

Natsu looked to Lucy who was holding her chin in thought. She knew more about wedding traditions than he did, but he didn't want her to have to come up with all of the ideas. He let his eyes travel up and down her body, trying to think of something she would like.

A smile crept across his face as he pulled Ran to the side. Natsu whispered something into his ear and the salesman sprung to life, dashing around the corner and returning with a small box. Natsu looked inside and smiled before turning back to Lucy.

"I know I probably don't have good taste, Lucy, but I hope you'll take these anyways." He said with a small smile, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. She held her breath as he opened the small box to reveal a pair of small heart-shaped golden earrings. She gasped at the sight of them, looking up into his eyes.

"They're earrings, to replace the ones you lost in the river. If you don't like 'em, we can get something else..."

She shook her head as she stepped forward, taking the piercings from the box and placing them in her ears. She turned her head to the mirror on the counter, leaning forward and brushing her hair behind her ears.

"Natsu, they're beautiful…" She breathed, wiping the corners of her eyes as he wrapped his arms around her. He was beaming. Lucy was really happy.

"This too then, Ran." Natsu told him. The ring man went directly to ring up the earrings and bands, obviously pleased with himself for making a sale.

The couple exited the store, content, hand in hand. They stopped short to gawk at the town square. People of all ages were bustling around, bright smiles on their faces. The atmosphere was electric with excitement. It was contagious; Natsu could feel it in his bones as he shifted from foot to foot.

"They're really going all out on this, huh?" Lucy turned to him. He nodded, not really sure what to make of all these strangers running about, making this setup. He felt odd being so uninvolved in his own wedding.

"Ah, I should summon my spirits!" Lucy said, bringing him back down to earth. He took a few steps back as she effortlessly called Loke. Her form was admirable. Natsu remembered when she still only had a few keys, how she had to fumble clumsily for them during battle. It made him proud to see how much she'd grown.

"Natsu, Lucy, long time no see! I've heard a lot has gone on between you two while I've been in the Celestial Spirit World. Care to fill me in?"

Natsu looked to Lucy, whose cheeks had turned deep red in a surprisingly short amount of time. Neither of them wanted to speak up, what with no one in Fairy Tail knowing about them being together. Natsu noticed his own cheeks burning.

Loke looked between the two mages curiously. "Aries said a few strange things had been going on a few weeks ago, and Taurus says that you two are staying up in a house in a forest now. Are you two on a mission or something?"

Oh, how he didn't want to do this.

He and Lucy had never discussed how they were going to tell their friends about their relationship. Natsu was certain that Lucy was aware of this problem, and had been for a while. But it seemed that the longer they stayed on the mountain, away from the troubles of the world, the more they forgot to catch up with their friends. One thing lead to another, and suddenly their surprise eloping had gone deeper. And now, now Natsu was standing before his friend, with Lucy at his side. He shouldn't be worried about what Loke would say, but he was worried. And from Lucy's expression, he guessed that she was too.

Never one to use the right words, Natsu slipped his hand carefully around Lucy's. She scooted towards him, till they were comfortably arm-to-arm. They were at peace being near each other, which was made evident in their confident body language.

"Loke, we…" He trailed off, Lucy touching his inner forearm with her free hand.

Loke's eyes widened behind his glasses, and he stumbled back just a little. Natsu would've laughed if the circumstances were different.

"W-Wait. You mean you- and him? Lucy, when did this happen?" Natsu couldn't tell if Loke was cross or just surprised. Either way, he and Lucy had been caught.

They really should've thought this through. Of course they wanted to tell their friends about them, but they never planned how exactly they would do that.

Lucy stepped forward, her chin lifted fearlessly.

"About one month ago, Natsu, Happy, and I ran away together to look for Natsu's dad. And at the same time, we had kind of gotten together." She said slowly. Loke laughed.

"You two ran away together?! Does Fairy Tail know about this? " Natsu and Lucy cringed in sync.

"W-Well… Uhm-"

"Nope! No one has caught them yet!" Happy chimed in cheerfully as he exited the store.

"And you're just in time for the wedding!"

Natsu's grip on Lucy's hand tightened as Loke paled. The spirit did a quick 360 of their surroundings, taking in the sights of all of the various villagers filling the town square with dining room chairs and flowers, everyone all smiles as the air buzzed with excitement. He turned back to the couple with a dumbfounded look on his face. Natsu flashed him a nervous smile as he scratched the back of his head, Lucy hiding her blush in her fiancé's arm as she kept eye on her spirit.

Loke looked at the two skeptically for a moment before speaking in a low tone.

"Lucy… Are you sure about this?"

Natsu gulped audibly, looking down at her to see her response. She smiled into his skin and nodded softly. Her eyes said what her mouth didn't: _absolutely._

Loke sighed softly as he relaxed his posture, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around her.

"Congratulations, Lucy."

Natsu smiled as Lucy hugged him back, knowing how important it was to her that her spirits, her beloved friends, were supportive of the choices she made. As she stepped back, she held onto Loke's hands.

"Loke… Will you walk me down the aisle?"

The spirit's breath hitched at her request, something out of character for the cool and collected Loke. Natsu smirked as his friend's cheeks became tinted red.

"...Of course. Anything for you, Lucy." Loke stated softly, smiling down at her. "Would you like the other spirits at your side as well? I can go and tell them to get ready if you'd like."

"C-Can they all come? It would mean the world to me!" Lucy chimed enthusiastically, grabbing her keys from her side. Loke smirked as he lowered her hand, giving her a wink before disappearing. He returned moments later with the rest of the zodiac spirits, everyone informed of the situation and grinning from ear to ear. Lucy used her own magic to summon the spirits that didn't have enough magic to summon themselves, and soon everyone was standing -well, shaking in Plue's case- together, congratulating their master and her groom.

"So, you actually found a man, huh Lucy? Took ya long enough!"

"Princess, I wish you a bountiful marriage. You may punish me for saying so, but I always thought you were a cute couple."

"Lucy-sama, mo, does this mean your boobs are off limits now?!"

"Wah, a wedding! I'll fill the air with beautiful music!"

"Natsu, please take good care of Lucy for us!"

Lucy was overjoyed, if not slightly overwhelmed, by how kind the spirits were. Although, Natsu suspected, it wasn't as if they weren't going to accept her. Lucy's spirits loved her too much. Having them involved in the wedding was going to make it real.

"C'mon Natsu, we have work to do." Loke told him, taking him by the arm and waving Lucy off. Natsu was hesitant to leave Lucy, but she needed to get ready, and Loke had a surprisingly strong grip.

"What're we doing?" Natsu asked at last.

"Getting you a tuxedo, of course." Loke chuckled. "You didn't think I was going to let you get married in that, did you? No, I'm going to make sure you are looking sharp."

Natsu went along with Loke's shoving complacently. They came across a suit shop, the fancy man standing in front of the store with a canary yellow tie on this time.

"Bonjour, Monsieur's! My brothers have told me about your joyous day! Come in, come in, I shall take good care of you!"

Natsu scowled at the familiar scent once again. There was no way this man was a different guy. "Okay, I know it's you! You're not fooling anyone!"

"Monsieur, I assure you I do not know what you are talking about! I am Stan the suit man! Come, let me assist you on this day of celebration!"

Natsu huffed in frustration but entered the store anyways, feeling extremely out of place in the high-class shop. He waited nervously by a shelf of shoe polish while Loke talked smoothly to the man at the desk as if he'd known him all his life. Loke had that quality.

He was corralled to the back of the shop where people started measuring him with worn, numbered tape. Natsu disliked all the pushing and pulling and tugging he'd had to endure, but he was in no place to complain. Everyone was doing this for him and Lucy after all.

"You clean up nicely, Natsu." Loke murmured appreciatively from behind Natsu. Said boy was shifting around the small room, turning every which way as he got distracted by his many reflections in the mirrors. Natsu wasn't sure he liked how fancy he looked in this chilled gray tuxedo, but if Lucy liked it, then he didn't mind wearing it. He fidgeted with the hem of his jacket, resisting the urge to run his hand through hair. It was a habit, but Loke said he shouldn't mess up his hair.

Loke clapped him on the shoulder, jolting Natsu out of the fog that had settled on his mind. He scowled as Loke laughed at his jumpiness.

"I take it you're a little nervous?" He told Natsu's reflection in the mirror. Natsu looked away.

"How'd ya guess?" Natsu grumbled. Loke smiled knowingly.

"Don't worry about it so much. This is supposed to be a happy day. And besides…" He went on. "I can tell that Lucy loves you a lot. I had a hunch the two of you would fall for each other eventually. The other spirits and I were actually waiting for you two to get together to be honest."

Natsu shot Loke a surprised look. "Really?!" He said incredulously. Loke nodded.

"I've known you for a long time Natsu. It didn't take long for me to realize that Lucy was very special to you. It wasn't until a few years ago that I began to see just how special you were to her though. She's always looking to you in battle, for strength, support, a number of things. She finds courage in you, so it's not really that surprising to me that you two are getting married."

Loke caught his eye and spoke in a low tone.

"But Natsu… I've been around for a long time, since the beginning of time actually, and in all of my years in this world, I have never met a girl like Lucy. If you do anything to hurt her…"

"I won't." Natsu said earnestly, his voice heavy with conviction. Loke smirked.

"I know. You're a good man, Natsu. I'm glad she ended up with someone like you." The spirit patted him on the back to lighten the mood, fixing his own tie in the mirror.

"Come on, let's get you up to that altar."

Natsu stood up at the altar, staring down at his feet as he tried to stop his hands from shaking. His heart was pounding in his chest as butterflies began twisting his stomach.

_Why the hell am I so nervous?!_

Loke had gone off to help Lucy along with the other spirits. Happy had been keeping him up to date with what was going on, saying that Lucy had put her keys in her bouquet as her 'something old' and that the spirits had presented her with a tiny blue hairpin as her 'something blue.' She had used it to pin up her bang so it didn't distract Natsu during the ceremony. The boy laughed, knowing that was probably a good idea. Natsu had given his scarf to be used as a pillow for the rings for her 'something borrowed' along with an old gold coin he kept for good luck to put in her shoe.

The fancy man came up to the altar, stepping behind the podium with a minister's collar on.

"You gotta be kidding me."

"Pardon me, Monsieur?"

Natsu sighed. "Just… tell me your name."

"Ah, I am Mahon. Mahon the-"

"Mahon the minister man. Yeah, I got it. Just… Never mind."

Mahon looked at him curiously before settling into his position. As Natsu began fidgeting with the single white rose pinned to his jacket, Horogolium let out a chime.

"It's time to begin, I say!"

Natsu tensed as Lyra began playing her harp, everyone shifting in their seats to look behind them. Happy and Plue exited the dress shop first, the cat dressed in a tiny suit with Natsu's scarf and the rings in hand and the spirit spinning around dizzily, throwing flowers in every direction. Small chuckles rippled throughout the crowd at the sight of them, helping take the edge off of Natsu's nerves for a moment. As the rest of the spirits exited the store and began walking to the front, Natsu continued to look towards the back.

His stomach was in knots. Natsu felt dizzy as he gave Happy a distressed look. The cat giggled at him before taking a seat on a reserved chair in the front row. Natsu gulped, wringing his hands as he shifted in his shiny shoes, awaiting Lucy.

Lyra's music stopped, drawing everyone's attention directly. Her music became something louder, more upbeat. The excitement level rose exponentially, and Natsu wished there was some way to hurry this up before he passed out.

The hem of her dress came into view. Natsu held his breath as she exited the shop, a cascade bouquet of white roses and baby breath decorated with polished keys placed delicately in her hands. Her golden locks were pulled half-up with the ends curled, a single blue hairpin holding up her one stray bang and her golden earrings displayed proudly. Gemi and Mini trailed behind her, carrying her train.

She had her veil pulled over her face, the fabric creating a safe place for her to mask the words she was whispering to Loke. He walked confidently by her side, his arm leading her to the altar. The crowd murmured small whispers of _she's so beautiful_ and _how_ _gorgeous_, but Natsu could only stand there, speechless.

Loke let go of her arm and took a seat, letting Lucy make her way to the altar. She placed herself in front of Natsu, passing her bouquet off to Virgo with a small thank you.

Their eyes met, and Natsu forgot how to breathe.

"So… Do you think I look pretty?" She asked shyly.

Natsu nodded dumbly as he tried to find the ability to form words.

"Stunning, Lucy…"

She blushed sweetly as she looked up to him softly. Natsu stood there for a moment, taking in the sight of her.

"Shall we begin, then? Yes, I believe it is time!" Mahon said with a smile. He began spilling off a sermon, a practiced speech that Natsu couldn't quite understand. He wasn't really trying to listen though. He was simply looking at Lucy, holding her gaze the entire time as she smiled radiantly beneath her veil. Whenever Natsu seemed to become too nervous, she would make funny faces to distract him, almost causing him to laugh and disrupt the proceedings. She didn't care though; it was good for their nerves. A wordy sermon and two rings later, Natsu tuned back into the fancy man's words.

"...Now, Monsieur, do you take this lovely woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to hold and treasure for the rest of your days?"

Natsu looked to him skeptically. "Well, yeah! That's why we're here, remember? To get married and-"

"Just say I do, Natsu!" Happy called from the crowd.

"Oh! Yeah, yeah, I do!"

The crowd laughed as he looked to Lucy nervously. She was giggling under her breath, mouthing the words 'You're an idiot.' He blushed, embarrassed.

"And do you, Madame, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to hold and treasure for the rest of your days as well?"

"I do." She said confidently. Natsu's heart swelled as she flashed him a joyous smile.

"Then I am proud to pronounce you husband and wife! Now Monsieur, kiss your treasured woman!"

Natsu nodded as he leaned forward, pausing as Lucy pushed back on his chest.

"Natsu, remove my blusher." She whispered.

"...Huh?"

"The front of my veil, Natsu. Flip it back."

"O-Oh, right." He stuttered, flipping back the fabric to reveal her face. Immediately she grabbed his collar, pulling him down and indulging in his lips. They remained that way for a few moments, the crowd cheering tearfully as they pulled away, dumb grins on their faces.

"Natsu, I'm so glad I escaped from all of those arranged marriages." Lucy whispered dreamily.

Natsu smiled.

"Me too, Lucy. Me too."

With that, he took her hand and they ran down the aisle, people clapping and throwing rice as they passed. The spirits gave them thumbs up, Loke pretending to lock his lips as a promise not to tell the rest of Fairy Tail. They disappeared in a flash, Lucy waving them goodbye as she gathered her keys from her bouquet.

Mahon approached them with open arms.

"Oh, Madame, Monsieur, I am so happy for you! Yes, you shall be very blessed! Why I can tell-"

"Has anyone seen Ran-sama?" An employee from the ring shop called out into the crowd.

Mahon removed his collar and put on his green tie. "I'm coming!"

"Hah! I knew it!" Natsu cried out. "I knew you were all the same guy! You were just changing ties!"

The fancy man looked at him with a smile.

"Monsieur, do you know who does that? My brother Dan! Yes, he is quite the character! Now if you'll excuse me, I am needed at my shop."

Natsu twitched in aggravation. He turned to his side to see an employee from the dress shop. He looked to her incredulously.

"Yeah, none of us understand it either! But he's a great boss!"

Lucy laughed as Natsu shook his head, the girl smiling up at him as Happy flew to their side. Natsu took his wife's hand in his own as the trio made their way back up the mountain.

* * *

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for fancy man's sake


	25. Chapter 25

This chapter is rated M for sex and cliffhangers

review if you liked it/hate us with the force of a hundred suns

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Lucy threw her head back and laughed as Natsu kicked open the door, carrying her princess-style in all of her bridal glory. He spun her around in circles, laughter filling the room as he tripped and fell on the floor. As they lay there together, both engulfed in white fabric, Lucy heard the door creak shut with a small feline giggle.

"I can't believe… We just did that." Natsu said with a grin, laughter dancing in his chest.

Lucy giggled madly as she looked down to where he lay. "Do you have any idea what Fairy Tail is going to say?! They won't let us hear the end of it!"

He smiled up at her with that goofy grin, his cheeks red with adrenaline and pleasure. They were like two fugitives on the run, making a display out of their antics but never getting caught- except by Loke, that is. It was exhilarating.

Lucy took off her veil and placed it on the floor, smiling as she saw Natsu tangled up in her dress. He looked lost in the silk and organza, lace and frills covering his eyes. His hands traveled through the fabric, trying to find a way out, when his hand brushed her skin.

"Ah, I found your leg!" The boy snickered, squeezing her thigh and making her squeal.

"You're so noisy, Lu~" He teased, his hand sliding up her thigh and brushing against her garter. He stopped.

"What's this thing?" His voice was curious, and Lucy could only imagine the puzzled look on his face.

"That's, uh, my garter." She started. Natsu hand was trailing around the band on her leg, scoping out what his eyes couldn't clearly see.

"Y-You're supposed to take it off…" Her face was red, and her body was tensed in anticipation.

Without warning, Natsu dove in between Lucy's legs, snatching at the lacy garter with his teeth. Lucy clapped a hand over her mouth in an effort to cover up a squeal.

"Wh-Why are you using your mouth?!" She exclaimed, her voice sounding higher pitched than usual. Why did he have to fluster her so?

He moved the band down her leg, stopping to snicker at her from under her dress. His lips brushed light, hasty kisses in the place of the garter.

"Heh, why not?" Another kiss. And then, like an afterthought, he flicked his tongue across the smooth skin of her thigh.

She squealed, her thighs quivering as a heated pressure came to her lower belly.

"N-Natsu!" She stammered. He took his mouth off of her, shifting around some under the ruffles of her skirt. His pink head popped into view, a serious, albeit embarrassed expression on his face.

"Lucy, I just remembered why we went down the mountain…" He wouldn't meet her eye. Lucy's face flushed red all over again.

"O-Oh, yeah…" Her eyes traveled to the discretely small, brown paper bag on the floor near them, just out of arm's reach.

He fidgeted with the hem of his shirt before speaking up.

"Well, do you still want to… Uhm…" He trailed off. His ears were red.

"Do you?" She spoke without thinking. Those intensely dark eyes of his snapping up to examine her face.

He smiled wide, his teeth catching the rays of the setting sun before he dove underneath her dress again.

Natsu started at her knee, trailing kisses up her thigh at a lazy, slow pace. He would swirl his tongue quickly on her skin at random intervals, and she could only squirm and squeal as he made his way towards her panty line.

She rolled her hips involuntarily, bumping herself into Natsu's nose on accident. Lucy sucked in a quick breath at the unexpected contact.

"Lucy."

"…Yes?"

"We should get this dress off of you, yeah?"

His voice was insistent, but not demanding. Like he was giving her the option to back out. She couldn't help but notice how often he asked for consent, and it made her feel safer to know that he wanted to make sure he wasn't doing anything she wasn't comfortable with. She felt the need to do the same with him, to make sure she didn't do something that would ruin it for him. Time would pass, and they would come to learn more about what they did and didn't want from each other, but for now, stopping to ask if they were doing the right thing was definitely best.

"Yeah, we should." She said confidently, flipping her skirt as his head bobbed up. He had a wild glint in his eyes, something she didn't have to try hard to match. She turned around so Natsu could unlace her dress. There, they came face to face with their first problem.

Natsu could just barely unhook a bra, how could he possibly undo a full corset?

He tackled the laces nonetheless, fumbling with the intricate ties. He let out an exasperated sigh after making little progress and put his head on Lucy's shoulder, silently telling her 'I give up'.

She patted his head consolingly, smiling to herself as she reached behind her back, blindly feeling for the laces. Natsu huffed indignantly, yanking off his jacket and tie and grabbing a condom out of the small brown bag on the floor as she pulled the ribbon out from behind her.

"How did you do that?! You couldn't even see!" Natsu shouted in exasperation, using his hands to exemplify his frustration. She laughed then as she scooted around to face him. He chuckled.

"You're a miracle worker."

"And you're an idiot." She smirked, rolling her eyes at him and holding her dress against her chest so he couldn't peek. He grabbed the top and pulled up as she slipped under the dress. The girl made her way through the fabric, standing up as she carefully set the dress to the side.

She looked back to Natsu, who was openly gawking at her with wide eyes. Lucy frowned, glancing down at her body. She almost laughed. Lucy had forgotten about the skimpy lingerie she had picked out, hoping to get a rise out of Natsu.

The bra was strapless and lacy- front-hooking in order to maintain Natsu's sanity- with soft tulle falling from the band. The transparent top had a flyaway opening that left her stomach bare when the wind caught it correctly, the frilled edges barely covering but not hiding the veiled thong. The small pink ribbon that tied the top together matched the small bow on the garter, the entire ensemble a radiant shade of white. She turned her gaze back to her husband.

The boy's face colored as he looked up at her, his gaze catching on the delicate curves of her body, taking in every inch of her. Starting at her feet, his eyes travel up the bare expanses of her legs. Lucy noticed his hand twitch compulsively. Like he was itching to touch her. Lucy felt a twinge of satisfaction as Natsu's eyes lingered on her chest for a moment too long. He met her eyes then, remaining silent as if he was at a loss for words.

"Is it that pretty? You look like you've never seen lingerie befo-"

_Oh_.

She smiled at the sight of Natsu's awestruck appearance. _Of course he's never seen lingerie before. Not on a person. Not on me._ She smirked.

_I'm gonna put on a show._

In one fluid motion, Lucy brought herself to the floor on her hands and knees, crawling towards Natsu as slowly as she dared. His eyes had a glint of excitement that was encouraging her to come closer.

She ran the palms of her hands up Natsu's thighs over his pants, eliciting a pent up sigh of pleasure from both of them as Lucy took her sweet time going down on him. Natsu swallowed hard as she straddled his waist.

Going straight to his vest, Lucy wasted no time in undoing the buttons. She felt his fingertips glide around the partially exposed skin of her hips, as if asking for permission to go under the fabric of her top, not wanting to move too fast. She smiled, scooting farther up on his torso and kissing his cheek. He locked eyes with her for a moment, grinning dumbly.

His hands skirted under her tulle, making goose bumps rise on her skin. She shivered, restraining a moan as his warm hands ran up and down her back. Lucy remembered his vest, trying not to get lost in his soothing touches.

After triumphantly getting his vest off, she started directly on his dress shirt. Since when had buttons been so hard to undo? She didn't know. She just wanted to feel his skin against hers. She continued to work clumsily as he began rubbing small circles on her lower back with his thumb. Her toes curled. His other hand went to her neck as he pulled her closer and began kissing at the nape of her neck in a frenzy. Hot, open-mouthed kisses decorated her neck as he made his way to her mouth.

She gave up on his shirt, capturing his lips by surprise before he got the chance. He made a noise of surprise that turned into a throaty moan. They stopped for air. Lucy giggled at her partner's dazed expression.

"Are you 'all fired up,' Natsu?" Lucy teased.

He nodded dumbly as heat traveled to his face.

Lucy looked at his shirt. She only managed to get a few of the buttons undone, but there was already more than enough chest to be seen because of her efforts. All sculpted and firm from vigorous training. She wanted to touch him, to feel his muscles coil and uncoil from under her.

Natsu growled, his lustful eyes boring into hers. She had been staring at his half-visible chest, she realized. He pulled her in for a kiss, needier this time, but letting her set the pace. It dawned on Lucy that Natsu was letting her call the shots this time. She figured she might as well savor that position.

She ran her hands over his skin, starting at his collarbone and working down, memorizing the finer dips and crevices his defined muscles carried.

Lucy leaned forward, pressing her breasts against his open skin ever so slightly. She was teasing him, giving the smallest of tastes and working towards what they both desired.

On a whim, she flipped her hair over her shoulder, letting it dangle on Natsu's neck and tickle him. She pressed her chest heavily on him while he was distracted by her hair, catching him off guard. His eyes widened. He sat up straighter and moved his hands to the undersides of her thighs, squeezing them.

She squealed, smashing her hips against his and curling her legs tighter around him. They moaned together at the contact. Lucy began to pant, winding her fingers through Natsu's hair as she grinded into him once, twice. She lost count. Her breath hitched as he thrusted up at her. Lucy could feel him; he was hard against her inner thigh. Through her thin panties, she could feel him throbbing. It was becoming unbearable now, the ache she felt for him.

"Natsu…" She breathed on his neck. His hands gripped her hips, steadying himself to continue thrusting. He rolled his hips in slow circles. A wave of pleasure washed over her for a debilitating second as she matched his movements. Natsu's breaths had become low pants as his mouth sucked lightly on her neck, while Lucy's were now loud, breathy-sounding cries for him.

He leaned forward, pressing himself close to her. His hands quickly flew behind her back to set her down gently on the floor as gravity took them down. Natsu cupped her face and kissed her passionately before kissing her breasts, which were more exposed than not thanks to her skimpy underwear.

The boy got off of her, removing his arms, much to Lucy's dismay. The floor was strikingly cool beneath her own scorching body. She lifted her head up to see Natsu's smirking.

He moved away the veil-like tulle material and stroked slowly down her midsection. Her stomach tightened as his hands went lower, coming dangerously close to her shaking thighs. Lucy lifted her hips off the ground on instinct, as if her body was telling her that his hands needed to be down in her panties, which he painstakingly avoided.

His hands moved down in between her legs, but he wouldn't touch where she needed him. She whimpered, longing for him.

His hands moved behind her, grasping her butt before leaning forward and rolling until she was atop him.

"Heh… I like you on top, Lucy." The boy confessed with a grin. She giggled as she took this opportunity to entertain him. Lucy went to work undoing the rest of the buttons of his shirt while Natsu playfully popped the band of her thong across her hip. It seemed like an eternity had passed before she had finally undone the last button, ripping the clothing off of his body until his chest was completely bare.

She grinned madly at the sight of him, sweaty and toned. She couldn't stop herself from leaning forward and pressing against his body, indulging in the warm and arousing sensation of his skin. She stayed that way for a moment, closing her eyes and sinking into his embrace. He let his fingers dip into her thong, rubbing small circles onto her untouched skin. The sensation awakened her senses, her body jolting up and her hands ripping down his zipper.

"Whoa, whoa, Lucy wait! We just got started!" He cried, moving his hand to stop hers. She shook her head as she began massaging him through the fabric. He gulped as he maintained his grip.

"Trust me, Natsu! I'm just gonna try something…" Lucy cooed, keeping her lustful gaze locked on his. She frowned then as a doubtful thought entered her mind.

"…I can try something, right?" she asked in a concerned tone. He smiled softly as he removed his hand and stood up to take off his pants, but Lucy pushed him down onto the couch to do it herself.

She let her hands trail down his stomach leisurely, making her way to his belt buckle. Her mind was more focused now, and she easily had his pants off in no time. His breaths were labored as he leaned back on the sofa. Lucy grabbed his midsection and tugged his hips towards the edge of the couch. He winced, squirming as she gripped him through his boxers. She looked up to his face. He was flushed, biting his lip and watching her with big eyes. His hands moved down to touch her, but she backed away from him all at once, putting her hands in the air.

"Ah! No touching!" She chimed, laughing when his jaw dropped in disbelief.

"N-Not fair!" He cried, flailing his hands around as he tried to keep them occupied. She lowered her hands back onto him as he began digging his claws into the couch cushions. She knelt on the floor this time as she drug his boxers off his body, presenting her with open access to his hard-on.

It was hard, but she could make it harder.

She looked up at him, his eyes intense and lustful, and held his gaze for a moment before going any farther. He nodded slightly and she gave him a wink before diving down.

She grabbed at his length, using her fingers to dance underneath his shaft and liven it up. He moaned when she squeezed him for the first time, his hands digging into the couch as he stared down at her work. She felt somewhat confident in her actions since she had gotten an idea of how he liked to be touched in the hot springs. But now that she could see what she was doing clearly, the heat in her stomach was rising quickly. The sight of him in her hands, it was intoxicating.

She interlocked her fingers around him, deciding to try something different. Her thumbs drove small circles into his skin. He gasped at the massaging sensation, letting out low moans as his head tipped back in rapture.

The girl took hers hands off of him for a moment. The wooden floor was making her knees sore.

"Lu…" He complained, grabbing at his own length. Lucy batted him away, going back to kneeling in front of him after grabbing a pillow. She had to admit, it was sexy watching Natsu touch himself, but she was in control now, and she wanted it to stay that way.

She stroked slowly down his length with one hand, her other hand repeating the motion firmly once she got to his head to create a continuous sensation. She toyed with the small nerve that ran from his tip to his shaft, being gentle as she placed delicate touches up and down the sensitive area.

She traced up his length with the back of her fingers, her smooth and glossy nails creating a new and strange sensation that his groan suggested he enjoyed. She smiled, looking up at him as she cradled his balls, tightening her other hand into a fist and pressing her knuckles into his taint.

"_Uugghhh…_" He moaned deeply, thrusting his hips towards her as he threw his head back and focused on her touch. A dab of pre-cum slipped through the slit of his tip, placing an idea into Lucy's head that opened a world of possibilities.

She pressed her tongue against his slit, licking the liquid desire off of his tip.

**_"Fuck!"_**

Her head shot up to see him, his breath labored and a dumb smile on his face. They held each other's gaze for a moment, the anticipation building inside of both of them. She smiled at him before bringing her lips back to his head, lapping up another dab of precum. It was warm and salty, and she found that she liked the taste.

She let her tongue tap curiously across his tip, dipping into the small slit and working down and around his head. She took it to her mouth, sucking on it in a fashion similar to the way he would suck on her nipple. He shuddered. The blonde took her mouth away, a string of saliva on her lip as she tried to catch her breath. She looked up to Natsu, who stared down at her in awe-like, hypnotic way, like she was the answer to his prayers. Lucy opened her mouth on him again and grabbed his base with her hands, quickly moving it right and left, his tip moving firmly against the flat the her tongue.

"Fucking hell- _Lucy_!" He cried out, his eyes clamped shut and his jaw locked. She backed off when she felt him twitch in her hands.

"Dammit, Natsu, I haven't even taken my clothes off!" She whined, her hair sticking to her forehead as sweat glistened on her skin. She made a mental note not to do that again, not until she was ready for him.

"Hah… Lu-Lucy…" He breathed out, a pleased grin on his face but something desperate in his eyes. He _needed _to touch her; he _needed _permission before he lost his mind. She sighed and gave him a sly smirk.

She straddled his thigh and pressed herself down on him, his length was held down against her inner thigh while she began grinding on his leg. Natsu's hands were on her in an instant. He kissed at her jaw, his chest heaving.

His fingertips danced along the edges of her bra, hesitating.

"Lu… Lucy, can I undo the uh, um…" His words were jumbled, but the message got across fine. The girl took one of his and guided it to the front clasp. He seemed particularly happy that he could see the clasp, undoing it quickly and letting Lucy's breasts spring free and the transparent top fall to the floor.

The boy growled, his mouth going directly to her newly exposed nipple.

She shuddered at the attention, her hand going down to cradle his balls in her palm, simply holding them as she brought his lips back onto hers. His hands replaced where his lips had been as to entertain her pearls while his tongue dashed into her and traveled the expanse of her mouth. She sucked on his tongue in time with his pulse she could feel through his erection. Her chest heaved as she pulled herself closer, her hands traveling onto his thighs as she dug deeper into the kiss.

His hands traveled down south and began massaging her through her thong, and she decided she was no longer satisfied with the small material. She tore at it desperately, sliding it down her thighs awkwardly as she tried to keep his hands on her. As it slipped off her ankles, she moaned, falling towards him and angling herself onto his fingers.

"Natsu…" The girl breathed, her breath shaky. Natsu looked up to her face. His eyes were clouded over with lust, but he was still attentive to the sound of her voice, if not more so.

"Y…You okay, Lu?" He asked, running his thumb over her cheek cupping her face with the hand that wasn't currently torturing her.

"Y-Yeah!" She gulped. "Just-Just go here…" Her hand guided his down farther, pressing his finger against her clit. She sucked in a breath of air and shuddered.

"Rub that part, Natsu." She blushed, hiding her face in embarrassment. Lucy never thought she would be as bold as to order Natsu around for her own pleasure.

He didn't seem fazed. The boy leaned forward, nipping at her collarbone and kissing up to her neck lovingly.

"I'd do anything to make my wife happy." He whispered, the faintest traces of a smile on his lips. Any words Lucy could've responded with got stuck in her throat, leaving her to only bury her face in his shoulder.

He ran his fingers through her hair with his free hand, using the other to experiment with the bundle of nerves Lucy had placed his fingers on. He rubbed in slow, delicate circles at first, awakening the little button and bringing her into a blissful state. She melted against him, letting out small, pleasured mewls. The circling became more forceful as Natsu found a rhythm. Lucy released muffled moans and cries onto his shoulder, clinging to him while he patted her head soothingly.

"Na… Natsu I- I can't…" She whimpered. The warmth in her belly was rapidly increasing, pushing her that much closer to the edge. Pushing her towards bliss. And she so desperately wanted to surrender.

"Sure you can, Lucy. I've got you." He told her. His voice was low, and oddly encouraging in a confusing, Natsu sort of way. He sounded almost calm. And she would've thought he was calm if not for the clouded over look in his eyes that spoke of a yearning desire.

The boy pressed his lips to her cheek, lingering there for a moment while his hair tickled at her nose. She relaxed for a brief second, letting out a contented sigh at his gentle kiss. His hand moved from her head, trailing down her back and around her hip. She shivered, feeling his nails rake against her open skin. The girl's breath hitched as he unexpectedly brought his fingers near the ones rubbing her clit into oblivion.

"Natsu… What're you…?" She couldn't finish the sentence. Watching his finger slide easily past her wet folds, she knew damn well what he was doing.

"Just tryna help, Lu…" He pulled out and thrusted in again. Lucy's moan punctured the hot air around them, her mouth forming an 'o' as she tried to contain herself.

Her eyes flickered up to his. He was watching her intently, a curiously devious smile gracing his lips. Natsu looked back down to his work, and she followed his eyes. He bent his head in close to whisper in her ear, his lips just barely brushing her skin.

"That is,"

Thrust.

"Unless you don't want any help."

Moan.

"But I'd do anything you wanted, really."

Another thrust.

"You just have to ask."

Another moan. She panted hard, struggling to find her voice.

"Yes! Please- Please Natsu! _I need you_!" She begged. She didn't need just anyone, she needed _him_. His heat, his touch, his love. No one else would satisfy her, because she didn't love anyone the way she loved Natsu, and no one else loved her the way he did. Natsu stopped moving altogether for an agony filled moment, his lips going to crush against hers. They moaned in harmony.

"I was hoping you'd say that."

Lewd sounds escaped her throat as Natsu fingered her walls, simultaneously circling her clit with his thumb. Lucy bucked her hips as his fingers curled, reaching something deeper inside her. The girl steadied herself with his broad shoulders, groaning wantonly as she bounced herself on his fingers.

When she thought she was just about done for, Natsu added another finger. Stretching wider, going deeper. She wailed, covering her mouth to stifle the sounds. Natsu made small cooing noises, trying to relax her. Like he was coaxing her to finish.

She felt it coming. Her heart pounded in excitement. Toes curling, Lucy clenched her eyes shut as brilliant stars exploded in her vision. Her nervous system was rocked with pleasure, leaving her with a shaky breath and visible shivering. Strangest thing. She'd never felt more relaxed after that.

Lucy felt his arms wrap protectively around her. She flinched at the contact, her body still sensitive. It took a moment, but she finally opened her eyes. The stars were gone, but their brilliance still lingered.

Her gaze traveled up Natsu's body, meeting his own dark eyes. They glittered with satisfaction, and his mouth was upturned in a snarky grin, like he'd just won a prize.

"What's so funny?" The girl asked half curiously. He giggled cutely, a light blush coming to his face. Lucy vaguely wondered if it was fair that he could be so adorable without even trying.

"I can't decide if you looked better at the altar or right now." He told her honestly. She sputtered something unintelligible and flushed red. He brought his mouth close to her ear, cupping her face while his other hand ran sensually up and down her back.

"And 'cause your orgasm face is _hot_." It was only a whisper, and she fought off the urge to shriek because of his bluntness. He was only satisfied because he was able to satisfy _her_.

Well, she thought, two can play at that game.

Lucy rested her hand on Natsu's upper thigh, watching an expression of confusion come slowly to his face. She dragged her hand to the side, a devious smile on her lips as she could almost, almost touch at the rod between his legs.

"…Lucy…?" He gulped, locking his eyes on hers with some difficulty. Oh, he was gonna get it.

"You know, yours is pretty hot too, your orgasm face." She purred, leaning on him with her breasts pressing on his chest. The word orgasm felt foreign on her tongue. His erection lay throbbing on her stomach. He moaned and clenched his eyes shut as the girl grabbed for him, rubbing his tip with the pad of her thumb. Lucy captured his ear lobe with her teeth, nibbling it before breathing into his ear,

"I want to see it."

His eyes shot open and narrowed on her. With a sudden growl, he pounced on her, flattening Lucy against the couch and ravaging her mouth with his. His taste and his touches set her off again, the pounding ache between her legs coming back with full force. He straddled her waist, his fingers finding a hold on her breasts. Lucy pulled his face down her neck, where he trailed his tongue around her skin. She took the opportunity to grab at his member, blindly pumping and squeezing as hard as she could. Natsu hissed and gasped at her effective efforts.

"Hah, shit… Lucy I… I wanna taste y…you…" His breathing was labored, not unlike hers.

"Taste…?" An idea came to her mind at that time.

Lucy pulled out from underneath him, spreading her legs wide before him in an erotic display. He looked at a loss for words. She curled her finger at him, silently coaxing him to come closer. He crawled toward her obediently. Lucy grabbed his shaft, guiding him towards her core at a painfully slow pace. She let his tip run across her folds, but not enter her, as it slowly became wet with her pleasured juices.

The couple panted breathlessly. Lucy wanted desperately for him enter her, to feel him pulsing inside her. She craved him, but she knew better.

Lucy pulled his tip away from her, relinquishing the arousing sensation of his sex glazing across hers. Natsu looked slightly confused, but not unwilling. The girl brought her lips down to Natsu's sex, giving him a slight squeeze before taking him in her mouth. She swirled her tongue on the sensitive head, paying special attention to his slit. Her own wetness coated her tongue as she took him in. There was something explicitly carnal about Lucy tasting her own arousal, but if anything, it only spurred her forward.

Keeping the wetness heavy in her mouth, the blonde went back up to Natsu's lips, thrusting her tongue against his and allowing him to suck on her muscle. He groaned into her mouth and pulled away from the passionate lip lock, licking his own lips as he stared at her, gathering her taste from her own mouth. She set her hips on his, and the pair found themselves lost in a slow grinding, rocking motion.

"Fuck… Your taste, Lucy- I can't take it anymore…" He murmured to her, his teeth clenched.

"Me neither…" She whispered. They locked eyes. A simple conversation passing silently through them.

At once, she lifted herself up, already missing his skin on hers. Natsu rolled to the side and grabbed a condom as she opened her legs to Natsu, fingering herself unabashedly as she waited for him to undo the wrapping. Lucy couldn't take it anymore. The yearning she felt for him was too intense.

The wrapper tore open and he sat upright, placing the condom on his tip. He was fumbling with it, obviously never having put one on, profanities slipping through his gritted teeth as his eyes traveled between his work and the sight of Lucy entertaining herself.

"Fuck, Natsu, hurry up!" She cried desperately, impatiently swiveling her hips as she awaited him.

"I'm trying! I just… I can't get it-"

She threw herself atop him impatiently, hovering over his hips as she took matters into her own hands. She placed his tip into the rubber with labored breaths, placing her forehead on his shoulder as she looked down at her work. Without hesitation, she placed his tip at her entrance, lowering herself onto him before she could even get the condom on him fully. Her fingers held the rim in place as her wet folds rolled the rubber down his length. Her muscles clamped down on him, savoring the feeling of the fulfilling contact on her walls as he slowly slipped all the way into her.

"Lu-Lucy… I… _Haah…_" He breathed as she came all the way down, pressing her body against his as she took in shallow breaths of pleasure.

It didn't hurt this time, thankfully, and she was able to fully enjoy the sensation of him entering her. The fresh contact on her inner walls, the feel of his hips pressing into hers, of being filled. And the fact that the upright angle they were at allowed her to look him directly in those dark eyes of his… It was perfect.

But he didn't stop there.

He let his arms snake around her waist, pulling her into an embrace against him as he furiously sucked on her neck. Like he would die if he couldn't taste her. His hands traveled up and down her back, his hips swiveling with gaining acceleration as he swirled inside of her. He would come up for breaths of air as he traveled around her neck and onto her face, capturing her lips whenever he had the chance.

"Na-Natsu… Please… M-More…" She breathed, her senses becoming overwhelmed by his entirety. They moved fluidly together, their loud moans and cries filled every corner of the small home, in addition to the squeaking that came from the couch as they bounced.

He thrusted up, silently encouraging her to set a faster pace as he tried to catch his breath in between pants of euphoria. She took on the challenge willingly, pulling her hips up and down onto him as he thrusted with her. She clamped her muscles down on him, her hands traveling to his neck as she kissed all over his face.

"Lu… I.. I love… **_Uggghhh…_**"

Lucy's heart danced as her eyes met his. That passionate, lustful gaze, it held something sweeter. They said more than I need you.

They said _'I love you.'_

With vigor, she clamped down at him all at once, grabbing his base with one hand and grasping the back of his neck with the other.

Twitch.

Her tongue dragged across his scar, trailing hot air in its wake.

_Twitch._

She pulled him forward, pressing her chest against him furiously.

"L-Lucy, I-"

She looked down, his body giving the signs of upcoming surrender. In an attempt to finish him off, she took her hand off his neck, flying down to his taint and pressing into it as she took his balls into her other hand.

**_"I love you, I love you, Lucy!"_** he cried out as his hands pressed harshly into her back, his head flying into her shoulder as muffled roars filled the room. His hips flew up into hers, the condom holding strong as he pushed unknowingly yet powerfully against her g-spot.

She clamped down on him. Hard. Lucy cried out, a tremor tearing through her body as Natsu's sweet, simple words pushed her off the edge.

**_"NAAATSUU!"_**

His orgasm fed her own as a rush of energy escaped with his. She clamped down even harder on him, wetness engulfing both of them as they clung to each other. Stars bursted before their eyes simultaneously as their bodies became rigid with pleasure. Their orgasms were long, euphoric, and fueled by the other. As their waves died down, she slowly pulled herself off of him, sitting on his lap as the couple stared at each other, speechless.

A stunned smile slowly graced his lips as he shook his head slightly in disbelief. "Lucy… I-"

"I love you too." The girl breathed out, not waiting for him to finish his sentence as she kissed his lips, cupping his face in her hands. He sighed happily, wrapping his arms around her as he rolled down and laid on his back, allowing her to lay flush against his body. Lucy let out a contented sigh as she laid her head on his chest.

"I love you, Lucy." He said, still slightly dazed.

Lucy didn't know how long they laid there like that, but Natsu decided to sit up after a while, kissing her forehead lovingly as he hugged her tight. She smiled contently, curling her body up on his for a moment as she regained her senses.

"Hey… I'm gonna go take this off…" He said hesitantly, not wanting to let her go. She smiled up at him, kissing him on the cheek before standing up.

"I'll be in the bed." Lucy whispered as she snuck across the floor. He disappeared into the bathroom as she slipped under the sheets, peaking through the curtains to get a glimpse of the stars.

She didn't know how he had left the bathroom so quickly, but suddenly Natsu had sprung onto the bed, the mattress creaking as he sprawled out atop her with an exaggerated sigh of pleasure.

"Get under the sheets, you idiot!" Lucy said with a laugh. He looked up to her with a wide grin as he scurried up next to her, drawing her close as he snuggled into her hair. Lucy let out a long sigh as she relaxed into his warmth.

"Lucy, you're smiling." Natsu noticed.

A grin was etched onto her face, refusing to come off. She hummed in thought for a moment.

"Well, I'm happy." She put simply. "I think I could get used to this…" Lucy closed her eyes, taking in his scent. A summer campfire. Surrounded by pine trees and smoke.

"I think I'm already used to it…" He murmured, digging himself closer to her, placing tiny kisses on her shoulder. He chuckled then.

"Yep, married life has been good so far." Natsu smiled. It took a while for his comment to sink in.

"Natsu, all we've done so far is have sex."

"Yep, life is good." He said, throwing an arm around her as she laughed. They stared at one another for a long moment, not saying anything in the dim light. It was peaceful.

Silently, Natsu brushed his left hand over hers, intertwining their fingers and making their matching rings scrape against each other.

"Natsu,"

"Hm?"

"What do you want to do?" Her voice was small, trying not to disturb the serene atmosphere.

"Whadya mean?" Natsu asked, his dark eyes flickering to hers.

"Well…" Lucy scooted herself closer to him, tracing small, figure eights on his peck. "We're married now. We have our whole lives ahead of us, together. Is there… anything you want to do?"

The question posed a variety of answers, and she was anxious to hear him. He hummed thoughtfully, toying with a strand of her hair.

"I don't know." He said slowly, closing his eyes with smile. "I don't know, but I'm excited." Lucy raised an eyebrow at that, gently poking his chest.

"Excited for what?" She asked. He shrugged.

"Excited for waking up with you every day. Going on more adventures with you. Just being with you in general is a thrill." He snuggled closer to her. As close as he could. "And I love it, Lucy. I love _you_."

Lucy wanted to cry. What could she have done to deserve Natsu's passion? She didn't know. But she relished in the feeling of it.

"You'll always be by me, right Natsu?"

It was an innocent question, nothing Natsu couldn't handle. Besides, she already knew his answer.

He nuzzled into her hair with a sigh. "Till death do we part, Lu. That's what I said, and that's what I meant. I'm not going anywhere."

Lucy smiled as she closed her eyes.

_That's right. Till death do we part._

…

**_"KREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"_**

Lucy and Natsu shot up abruptly at the tune of the ear-splitting screech. It was like a thousand people, just screaming at the same time. It rang like a tuning fork, reverberating in the air long after the wail had ended.

Natsu and Lucy looked to each other immediately, their faces wearing the same expression of confusion.

"Natsu, what was-"

"I don't know. Happy, where-"

"I-I'm over here, Natsu! I'm okay!" A frightened voice called over from the couch. She heard his little paws travel across the floor as Natsu picked him up and tucked the cat under his arm, using the other to hold her tight.

Neither of them said what they were really thinking. That the shriek they heard couldn't have been human.

The silence was thick with tension after that. No sounds. Lucy might've thought the screech was just her imagination, but Natsu had heard it too. She watched his face, his eyes growing glassy as he focused on only his hearing. He scowled just before another noise hit her ears.

Dull cracks. Like oak trees being forcibly halved. Another screech, less angry this time, but closer.

Whatever is was, it was coming towards them.

"Lucy, I'm gonna go check it out. Stay here with Happy." He was looking directly at her, his eyes boring the command into her. It scared her when he was serious like this. The boy kicked his feet over the bed, not wasting any time getting dressed. He looked lost in thought.

"I-I want to come with you!" She said quickly, not worrying about her apparent nakedness as she threw a pillow over Happy's eyes and searched for clothes. Natsu frowned.

"It might be dangerous. You should stay here where it's safe." He told her, making his way towards the door. She caught his arm and yanked on him. He turned to her, startled by the furious expression she wore.

"I'm coming with you." It wasn't a request anymore; it was an order. She wasn't letting him out of her sight. Natsu looked worried, but he put on a shaky smile for her, grabbing her hand and leading her out the door without a word.

"W-Wait for me!" Happy scrambled towards them. Natsu picked him up and let him sit on his head while keeping Lucy by his side.

She witnessed Natsu stopping every now and then to sniff the air. "This way." He'd say, dragging them off to a different part of the labyrinth-like forest.

"Whoa," Lucy breathed. The trio came to a sudden stop at the edge of a clearing, twisted in wreckage made from pure, brute strength. Pools of unnaturally muddy water laced the valley. Lucy's skin tingled in anticipation. It hadn't rained last night, but this destruction had to have been recent.

The screech again. This time too close. Sounding terribly victorious. Natsu's head whipped skyward.

"Dragon!"

The team scattered, as they had been trained to do in case they found a dragon. Lucy and Happy hid behind fallen trees while Natsu stood open to the enemy, forming a large triangle between the three. They had practiced this maneuver too many times to count, but now was the first time they had actually implemented it.

The dragon landed with an imposing _whump _that shook the ground. It was muscular but lengthy in size, its dark, glistening, blue scales traveling the expanse of its serpent-like body. Water ran continuously over its wings that somewhat resembled fins, the cerulean spikes cascading down its body and ending in a wider, mermaid-like tail. Natsu stood defensively in front of the creature, teeth bared, fists clenched.

"I am Natsu Dragneel, son of Igneel, the King of the fire dragons! I don't want to fight you!" He shouted up at the beast. Just because he didn't want to fight didn't mean he wouldn't. Though he looked confident enough, it pained Lucy to see him up there alone.

The dragon made a chortling noise, a deep rumbling sound coming from his maw and hot steam blowing from his nostrils. "Yes, and I am Pollia the Great, a water dragon, the likes of which has never been seen. I don't really care if you want to fight me, because I'm not here for you."

The dragon turned and set his sights on Lucy.

"I'm here for the _girl_."

Lucy's heart leapt up to her throat. Had he seen her bolt for cover? At any rate, she was a sitting duck now. Her eyes immediately went to Natsu, who looked equally shocked.

"Lucy, get outta there!" He shouted, taking off in her direction in a dead sprint. She stumbled to her feet, running as fast as her shaky legs could take her. If she reached Natsu, they'd be okay. The most compatible team in Fairy Tail could survive. She just had to reach him.

And she almost did.

The water dragon's armored tail swept in front of her and knocked into Natsu, sending him flying into a tree with a sickening crack. He slumped, and she screamed.

"_Natsu!_"

Happy zipped over to him, yelling something she couldn't quite hear.

Stomping over to her, the dragon hissed, its cold blue eyes paralyzing her. She wanted to run, or shout, or cry, or do _something_, but she couldn't move.

"So this is the famed mate of Igneel's son?" He snorted, blowing back Lucy's hair. "Pathetic. But that's probably not your fault. All humans are pathetic in some form."

He lumbered closer, the dragon's snout just inches away from her. She forgot how to breathe.

"I can find no logic as to why anyone would love a human. It never works correctly for them." He paused, narrowing his eyes.

"So what makes you think love would work between a slimy human and a half dragon?" He said it with such disgust, Lucy thought he was going to end her right there just for attempting to be with Natsu.

"I'll let you in on a secret, human: You'll never love him like he loves you. Humans just aren't capable of having such deep feelings. You could never even hope to match his level of emotions. Dragons are simply more passionate than your species, which only dances on such strong feelings such as love. Moving from one mate to another, falling in and out of love. No, you'll never be good enough for him."

Lucy fought back bitter tears. She inhaled sharply, her face twisted with distress. The girl made a grab for her keys, but thought better of it. She wouldn't endanger any more people than she had to.

"No, no... no! Y-You're wrong… You're wrong! I love him, I love him so much!" She cried, her frustration and fear building up in her. She could feel it in her bones, the doubt, seeping into her. There was no way the dragon was right. He was toying with her head, making her believe lies.

A silent war was waged in Lucy's head.

"You think you do. But you can't. Face it girl, you can't match his affections."

That was her breaking point. Her legs gave out from underneath her. She sobbed hysterically into her hands in a pool of mud.

_I really am pathetic…_

"Crimson Lotus: Exploding Lightning Blade!"

The dragon in front of her was engulfed in brilliant fire. Natsu's fire.

"Shut up! Don't say another word to her, you bastard!" She looked to him through tear-blurred eyes. He was seething. The dragon exhaled, like it was such a hindrance to have Natsu yelling at him. Patches of the dragon's liquidy body were sizzling from Natsu's heat, but other than that, he seemed relatively unaffected.

"How annoying." The dragon muttered. He turned to face Natsu, only to have a myriad of flames engulf his face. He let out a pained screech as Natsu continued his fevered onslaught. Happy dragged Lucy back into hiding as Natsu fought.

"Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"

The dragon spewed his own roar of water in defense, sweeping Natsu off of his feet and against the rocks.

Lucy stumbled forward. "N-Na-"

"I'm okay, Lucy! Stay there!" He cried out to her, Lucy letting out a shaky breath of partial relief. She nodded silently, holding onto Happy steadfastly in her arms. She sat back and watched as Natsu put up a fight, hitting the dragon with every attack he could muster, but he was slowly losing steam as his movements became less precise.

_I need to help him…_

Before she could even attempt to formulate some sort of plan, she saw Natsu slip up and place himself in front of a ledge.

Pollia smirked and puffed up his cheeks, and for an awful moment, Lucy knew what was happening, and she knew she could do absolutely nothing to stop it.

A stream of water blasted from the dragon's mouth in a breath attack. Natsu tried to defend himself, but the pressure was too much.

He was blown clean off the cliff-side.

The dragon looked unamused with these events and turned back to Lucy.

"I fear I have damaged him too harshly… I'll be back for you when he's awake and aware. I want him to see you suffer." His words were low, threatening as his icy cold eyes boring that promise into her.

"That is, if he wakes up at all."

And just like that, the dragon left, soaring off. It was over. Too quick. It was over far too quickly.

She scrambled up to her feet, tripping once and scraping her knees and hands. It stung, but she didn't care. Lucy went to the ground again at the cliff, looking over the edge and dreading what she would find.

Natsu. Crumpled on a small ledge jutting out from rock wall twenty… thirty feet down.

"Natsu…" She should've done something, anything to prevent this.

"Natsu!"

Louder now, her voice choked with terror. He didn't stir. She sobbed.

_Till death do we part, Lu._

"**_Natsuuuu!_**_"_

**_TO BE CONTINUED…_**

* * *

Actual quote from my partner: "Hey, hey Kat! I think we should post this chapter and then move on with our lives, never write again. Grow up, have families, and forget all about Purity. I think it's a very good idea! Nothing like an eternal cliffhanger!"


	26. Chapter 26

REVIEW TO STOP THE SPREAD OF CLIFFHANGERS

* * *

The first thing he noticed was the scent. It was a horrible scent, one of sterilized tools and foreign medicine. He knew it was a familiar smell, but for some reason he couldn't fully recognize it. Not yet.

The next was the sounds: quiet chattering in a tone that was never as cheerful as it would be anywhere else, the sound of un-oiled wheels squeaking across the tile floor, the unmistakable beeping of monitors from different directions. It was incessant, that beeping. One was near him, he could tell, but he didn't know who it belonged to.

It was the taste that got him though: the taste of a pasty dryness on his tongue that would linger if he didn't drink anything for a while. Also a strange, metallic taste that he didn't recognize at all… almost as if a foreign substance was in his body.

He opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was Lucy.

Natsu couldn't tell if she was awake. She sat slouched over, curled in on herself. Her skin looked paler than usual, and her hair was unkempt. A thin wool blanket was pooled around her lap. If she was awake, she was probably in bad shape. But why?

"Lucy…?" He croaked, being surprised by his own voice's grogginess. The girl shot up immediately, her red-rimmed eyes locking on his. Had she been crying? Natsu stared at her quizzically, unsure now of where they were or what was happening now that his head was clearing up.

"Natsu!" She bursted into tears, flinging herself from the chair to his side, wrapping her arms around his neck with desperate sobs.

"Lu-Lucy, why are you crying? Everything is okay!" He said scratchily. He tried to smooth her hair soothingly, but for some reason his arm wouldn't move. He didn't give it any thought as he turned and used his other to return the hug gladly. He felt oddly numb, cold even. And Lucy's warmth was a welcome substitute.

She shook her head furiously, not saying anything. Natsu looked around, the plain white rooms confirmed his earlier thoughts.

"Hey, are we in a hospital…? Who's hurt?" He said, trying to wet his throat. When was the last time he had water?

"Y-You, you're hurt! You're _hurt_, you idiot!"

Natsu looked down. He was in fact lying on a hospital bed. Under a hospital blanket wearing a hospital gown, plugged up with hospital tubes and hospital IVs.

Oh, how he hated hospitals.

As a child, he went to hospitals a lot. Lots of checkups and shots for the Wild Boy Natsu. That, and he did a lot of fighting, so he did break a few bones. Even as a child, he always hated the hospital. He had no identity here. He was a name on a chart. Another room. Another face. Lucy's presence was the only thing that reminded him that he was an individual.

Natsu shook his head.

"Why am I in the hospital? Lucy, you look awful… Are you alright? Was I out long?" He paused to cough violently. "And where's Happy?"

Lucy shuddered visibly, covering her mouth with her hands. Her eyes widened as she lowered her hands slightly to speak.

"You really don't remember, do you?"

"Lucy…?"

"You fell so far…"

"Lu-"

"You wouldn't move…"

"Lucy!"

He gripped her shoulder with his hand, suddenly feeling a sharp pang of pressure in his neck. He tried his best to ignore it though, and her eyes finally met his. She trembled, her mouth moving but not forming words.

"You… I-I thought… I thought you were _dead_!"

Dead?

The word seeped quickly into Natsu's skin as he vaguely recalled the battle on the mountain, giving him goose bumps. He tugged on Lucy's arm, making her climb on the bed with him. He needed to feel her, to have her physically close. She warmed him in a way that fire couldn't.

_I could've died up there… Right in front of her…_

Natsu's throat constricted as a sudden vision of future Lucy's sacrifice flashed in front of his eyes, the feeling of absolute solitude and horror that had rushed over him as he stood by pathetically as she was driven through by future Rouge's shadow blade still fresh in his mind even after all this time. When he tried to think about the amount of shock and sorrow that overtook him when he set his eyes on her limp body…

"Oh, Lucy…" He breathed, letting out a shaky breath as he tried to figure out what to say to her, what to do to keep her from feeling that way.

"Y-You said… You said till death do we part! B-But… But I thought that… I thought you were…" She broke down into harsh sobs before she could finish her sentence, trying to catch her breath as her entire body began shaking. Natsu went rigid, clutching her as close to his chest as he could. He winced, the desire to hold her was more intense than the new, spiking pain he felt.

"But… But I'm alright now, Lucy." He tried to assure her as he ran his fingers through her hair. Lucy shook her head as she tried to stop the tears, wiping her hands across her cheeks for every new trail they formed. She let out a shaky breath as she pushed away from him. He frowned.

"No… No, you're not okay. You cracked your collarbone, broke some ribs, and bruised your hip… And you hit your head, they say. They think you have a minor head injury, nothing serious though… But if you weren't a dragon slayer…" She shut her eyes and decided not to finish her train of thought. "You should just lay down, Natsu. Hugging me like that is just going to hurt you."

"But I wanna hug you!" The boy protested as she slipped through his hold. Lucy hugged her arms as she stared at him, her body language expressing how cold and scared she was. He wanted nothing more than to wrap her up and make those feelings disappear.

"No, Natsu… I want to, but you're hurting. I shouldn't be touching you…" She sounded unsure of herself, her voice coated thick with worry for him. He frowned, not content with her answer.

"…Move over here then. I can't move this arm too well." He said softly. She hesitated, biting her lip. Natsu was afraid she wouldn't, but after a moment's thought, she picked up the chair and brought it to Natsu's right side.

She sat down, promptly placing her arms on the bed railing and resting her head within his reach. He smiled, brushing out her silky hair between his fingers, toying with her bangs. He could see the obvious pain on her face. Her teeth were gritted, and she shuddered every now and then with a little sob.

It frightened him to think of how scared she was. Sure, he was reckless sometimes, but he almost _died_ this time. She would have had to have Happy help her go down there and pick him up, drag his body back to the top of the cliff only to realize he was dead. She would have had to go back to Fairy Tail and tell the guild everything that had happened, how they ran away after learning where Igneel was and got married, only to have him die the next day. Happy would be an absolute wreck and Lucy would stay with him, being forced to sleep alone in a big empty bed, crying and having nightmares he could never fix. The entire guild would grieve, and he would have never been able to tell them goodbye.

Tears began streaming down his face.

_What a horrible way to die._

Lucy reached out and touched his face, wiping away his tears as she bit her bottom lip in an attempt to contain her own. They both sat there silently, taking in the reality of the situation. It was Natsu who spoke up first.

"Stupid dragons…"

"No!" Lucy cried, startling Natsu as she flew to her feet. "No, please, _please_ don't say that, Natsu! You can't- You can't hate them-"

"How can I not, Lucy?!" He exclaimed as forcefully as he could in his current state, a sharp pain in his ribs as he tried to raise his voice. He winced before lowering his voice. "They tried to kill you Lucy… They tried to take you away from me. They tried to make you suffer right in front of my eyes for no reason whatsoever! Lucy, that's just unforgivable! How can I not hate them for-"

"Love me more!" the girl shouted out, her hands diving to clasp his. The boy faltered; her outburst wasn't expected.

"Love you more?" He repeated. Lucy looked panicked at the interruption, nodding furiously, like she would lose the words if she stopped for a breath.

"Y-Yes! For every bit you want to hate them, love me more! Love me so much, you don't have enough emotion left over to hate them! I'm begging you, Natsu, you can't hate them! I can't lose you again! I just- I can't! I'm not strong enough! I'm-I'm not… I'm just not, Natsu!"

Natsu could only stare at her as she fell back into the chair, drowning in her own tears. He wanted nothing more than to just jump up and kiss her senseless, to overwhelm her pain with his lips as he had done the day they confessed. To make those tears stop… He had to do something. But no, he was stuck in this hospital bed.

Natsu used his good arm to try and push down the railing on the bed, Lucy quickly jumping up and trying to help him. As it fell, he cupped her face and pulled her down to his lips, completely ignoring any pain as he kissed her cheek, her jaw, the side of her mouth, much more softly than he wanted to, but it was all he could muster up.

"Okay Lu…" He whispered as he took a shaky breath. He could feel her tears hitting his cheek as gravity drug them from her skin, and it felt like acid as it ran across his face. He kissed her on the lips finally, and she held onto them for as long as she could, like she didn't think she was ever going to feel those lips again.

"I promise, Lucy. I'll love you more, and everything will be okay. Just-Just don't be scared anymore." He told her, brushing a piece of hair behind her ear. She smiled brilliantly through the tears. She wiped her eyes with a sniffle as she tried to calm her breathing down to a normal pace.

"Lucy, I brought you the blanket from the house, so can you try to slee-" The door swung open, and Happy flew in, dropping the blanket upon seeing Natsu awake and upright. Big tears welled up in his eyes at the sight.

"Natsu!" The cat pounced on him, wriggling into Natsu's lap and spouting about how worried he was. It hurt, but he wouldn't tell Happy that.

"Me and Lucy were waiting forever! They brought you into a tiny room and people were yelling and they wouldn't let us see you! Th-They told Lucy that you might not wake up for a while, and Lucy cried. I cried too, Natsu. But I'm so happy you're awake now!"

"Yeah, me too… How long was I out?" Natsu asked. He looked to Lucy, who had her eyes on the floor, biting her lip.

"Four days, five? No, I think it's been four." Happy said, counting on his little paw.

"Four days?" It dawned on Natsu then how much his partners really suffered. He could see the lack of sleep in the dark bags under Lucy's eyes and the lack of shine in Happy's fur from not eating. The boy felt abruptly tired, like there was a burden on his back he couldn't shake. He couldn't stand the thought of them suffering because of him.

"I'm really sorry you guys…" He said, hugging his companions despite the sharp pain. They mushed close to him, letting out tiny coos of reassurance that it wasn't his fault.

He wouldn't tell them about the burden. It was better that they don't know. Lucy said he couldn't blame the dragons for causing this, but if he couldn't blame the dragons, then who was to take fault here? Lucy? He'd never blame her. Happy wasn't even an option. So he was only left with… himself. Lucy would get onto him for feeling guilty over something like this, he was sure, but he didn't care. He would willingly take that blame, and the burden that came with it, just to make sure that his family wasn't hurting anymore.

_Yes… My family…_ He thought._ I'll make sure my family is happy again._

Unsurprisingly, Natsu began dozing off.

"Pollia, what were you thinking?!" Igneel roared through the hall, a toxic fury saturating his words. He was seething, Grandine trying to hold him back. He slapped his tail on the ground, making a resounding boom flood the cavern.

"Igneel, you need to calm do-"

"Calm down?! _Calm down?!_ He almost killed him!" The Flame Dragon King exclaimed, flames dripping from his mouth. "You were going to attack his mate, and that is a direct violation of-"

"Oh, you are so excitable, Igneel! I didn't _actually_ touch her!" Pollia said smugly, lazily dragging his claw through the dirt.

Igneel huffed, steam blowing out of his nostrils. "You know as well as I do that you had every intention of harming her."

"What does it even _matter_? She's just a human. The entire notion of not being able to hurt her is ridiculous." The water dragon complained. Igneel scowled as many whispers began rippling through the crowd. He was losing his grip on the minds of his fellow dragons.

"He's right, Igneel." Staefer said smoothly. "Simply attacking Natsu head on is not making a difference. Attacking his family, however, seems to be getting to him. If you allow us to simply target-"

"No!" the dragon roared, effectively silencing the hall. "No, we will not involve innocent humans! That was the condition, and it will not be compromised! Pollia, you will not be banished because you never actually hurt her, but you would be wise to act with more self-control. No one will lay a claw on Natsu's loved ones, and that is the last I will hear of the matter!"

With that Igneel stomped off, leaving the crowd to disperse. As he left the hall, he looked to Staefer. The dragon caught his eye and bowed his head in recognition before looking back out to the crowd.

Igneel frowned. Something about Staefer was making him more uneasy than usual, and although he had no idea what it was, Igneel had a hunch that it had to do with this unethical attack. He huffed tiredly; the old dragon couldn't help but feel like danger was looming on the horizon for his son.

_Natsu… Please stay strong._

"Natsu…"

He groaned.

"Natsu, the nurse is here."

The boy sighed as he opened his eyes, the flickering fluorescent lights only making his headache worse. Now that he thought about it, his head was killing him. Lucy did say he hit his head though. He put his arm over his eyes to shield them from the bright light, but someone must have noticed his distress and turned out the lights.

"You never did like the lighting in hospital rooms, did ya wild boy?" A voice rang out from the doorway. It was strikingly familiar.

"C… Carol?" He drawled, still mostly asleep as he lifted his arm to see an old friend's face looking down at him.

"Looks like you're all grown up, Natsu~" The woman smiled brightly, and nostalgia of his past came rushing back to him.

"Carol!" He beamed. She didn't look a day older. A fond warmth took over his heart, just seeing her familiar, caring face.

Natsu never had a mother figure. Carol was the closest thing though. Years ago, when the boy had just entered Fairy Tail, Master had decided that he needed to get all of the immunizations and shots he had missed out on while living in the wild. He was also too rough and savage when playing in the guild and would often get hurt in the process. He got taken to the hospital in Magnolia where Carol worked countless times.

He remembered the blur of too many check-ups where the staff tested him inside and out for any sickness, taking his blood and pulse and constantly taking his temperature. The doctors seemed to be fascinated with his higher body temperature and feral upbringing. Natsu found them annoying. He never thought of himself as feral. Carol was different though. She was gentle and always found a way to make even the most uncomfortable tests fun.

At that time, the boy had just lost his father, and he was justly cautious around strangers. He felt an immediate attachment to this nurse, however. He clung to her, in fact, not letting any of the other staff members come near him. The wild boy, as he was known as in the hospital, took to purposefully refusing other doctors and making a fuss until Carol arrived.

And she finally did.

"What are you doing here, Carol? Why aren't you in Magnolia?" He asked with a broad smile. It was strange to see Carol in such a faraway place, but this was a hospital after all.

"I got transferred here a few months back for training in non-pediatric settings while my husband is on business. I'll be going back to Magnolia soon, though." Carol said cheerily. "But enough of that, what in the world have you gotten yourself into, wild boy?" She walked over and picked up his chart. Her smile faded quickly as she looked up at him.

"Yeah… I'm pretty banged up, huh?" He chuckled, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. It was odd having Carol taking care of him again, but it was a welcomed feeling.

"'Banged up' doesn't begin to explain it. You took on what seems to be some blunt force trauma. What happened?" She said, concerned as any of his friends would be.

"I… Fell." Truthfully, he wasn't sure what happened. That fight was a blur, a whirlwind of anger and fire. And Lucy, he was fighting for Lucy. It seemed to be a common thing in his line of work. He looked to her and squeezed her hand. Her expression was one of reserved pain, like she was trying to keep herself calm, but the torment was going to come bubbling up any second now.

"You don't remember much, huh? It's pretty common for people who hit their head to forget the accident." She said, like she had read his mind. The woman smirked as she flipped through his files. "I bet you have a nasty headache right now."

Natsu averted his gaze as Lucy's eyes flew down to him.

"I-I'm okay, really! I just… I'm okay…" The boy said in defense. He didn't want anyone to worry about him. He hadn't died, and he would get better. They had no reason to waste any energy fretting over his condition.

"If you think acting like nothing is wrong is going to make us not worry about you, you're wrong."

Natsu sighed as Carol read his mind once again.

"You haven't changed at all, Natsu." Carol said with a sigh. She traveled over to his side and pressed a small bag of ice on the side of his head, right above his ear. He tensed at the sensation.

"You need to understand that the best way to make us feel better about your condition is to _let us help you_. If you hide it from us, we'll just spend all of our energy trying to figure out how you're feeling. You don't want to do that to us."

Natsu exhaled softly as he let Carol's words sink in. He knew she was right- she always was- but it was always hard for him to admit when he needed help. He was supposed to be taking care of _them_, not the other way around.

He looked to Lucy, her gaze setting upon him with tired yet concerned eyes.

_If I let them help me, maybe she will relax and sleep…_

"Actually…My throat is kinda dry… Can I have something to drink, maybe?" The boy asked quietly as he cast his gaze to the floor. He didn't have to look at either of the two women to know that they smiled upon hearing his request.

"Of course you can. I'll get you a glass of water and some pain medicine. When I get back, I'd like to talk to you about some things though. Is that okay?"

Natsu nodded as Carol stepped outside, leaving him alone with Lucy and Happy. As he looked into his partner's face, taking in her pale appearance and the dark circles under her eyes, he felt the need to talk to her one on one.

"Happy, do you mind giving us a minute? I wanna talk to Lucy." The slayer said softly, Happy complying to his wishes without protest. As the cat closed the door, Natsu focused his attention on the girl in question.

"Lucy… When was the last time you slept?" He said in a low yet delicate tone as he looked her in the eye. The girl shifted in her seat, turning her head to the side so she didn't have to look at him. Natsu frowned.

"Well when was the last time you had a good meal?"

She didn't answer.

"Lucy-"

"I just didn't want to leave you here by yourself, Natsu!" She blurted out, quickly biting her lip and lowering her tone. "I was afraid something bad would happen if I left… So I stayed…"

The boy sighed as he bid her closer, Lucy scooting up to him and holding the ice pack on his head.

"Lu, you need to take better care of yourself. You shouldn't let me being hurt effect you so much."

She tensed as a pained look came to her face.

"… Unless… There's something else bothering you…?"

Lucy didn't respond at first, giving Natsu the answer he was looking for. He reached out and touched her hand gently, looking up into those big, brown eyes of hers. She sighed softly.

"… I just… I can't help but think about what that dragon said…" Natsu frowned as he tried to remember what it was that Pollia had said to her. He remembered that it had infuriated him, but he couldn't remember what it was about…

Her tears hit the floor. "… I'm sorry… If I can't love you enough… If I'm not good enough for you…"

Suddenly, every memory came rushing back. The sudden jolt of pain that coursed through his body when he got slammed up against the tree, the confusion that settled into him as he regained consciousness to the sight of Lucy and the dragon talking, the pure seething rage that overtook his being upon hearing the lies Pollia was feeding her, he remembered it all. His eyes widened in horror as he realized that Lucy had bought into what Pollia had said, that she could never satisfy him.

"N-No! Lucy, no! None of that is true!" He exclaimed, reaching out for her face as desperation began to take him over. She backed away from him, but Natsu took hold of her hand and kept her close. "He doesn't understand, Lucy! He doesn't know who you are! You don't fit into their definition of 'human'!"

"But I _am_ human, Natsu! And Pollia said-"

"Pollia doesn't understand, Lucy!" Natsu protested, the pounding in his head becoming stronger as he spent more energy, but he didn't care. "Dragons don't live with humans, Lucy. They only see the big picture. If you look at the entire human race, powerful emotions like love and hate get tossed around like it's an everyday thing. People say 'I love you' and 'I hate you' to people they barely know! Humans will date people for a few weeks, sleep with them, then claim they are soul mates, only to get bored after a few months and move on with their lives. Hell, some people even say they hate each other just because they had a fight! On a whole, the human race throws around those words like they are some casual, everyday thing."

"B-But that's not how I love you, Natsu!" The girl cried, tightening her grip around his hand.

"I know, Lucy! Other people don't treat love the way you do. When you say 'I love you', you mean it with all of your heart. Once you love someone, you will never stop. They will always hold a special place in your heart because they became a part of you. Dragons don't understand that there are humans who treat love the way it should be treated: as a treasure that comes by only a few times in a person's life. That's the issue with dragons, Lu. They watch the human race from a distance, and then they assume every person in the world fits into this mold of what a human is like according to what they see. They don't understand that there are people who actually experience true love, that there are people who can love just as deeply as they can." He lowered his voice as he continued, interlocking their fingers and looking her in the eyes.

"You're one of those people who love like dragons, Lucy, and don't you ever doubt that."

Lucy's bottom lip began quivering, and she bit down on it as heavier tears began streaming down her face. She choked on a sob as she leaned forward, placing her forehead on his as her tears dropped down onto his skin.

"Na-Natsu…" She whimpered through tears, the boy reaching up and brushing the back of his hand against her cheek.

"Shhh Lucy… It's okay…" Natsu cooed, feeling a little more content when he heard a relieved sigh escape from her lips. It was as if the heavy burden had been lifted off of her shoulders, but a part of it was still weighing down on her.

"Lu, how can I let you know that Pollia was wrong? What do you need me to do?"

The girl sniffled, remaining silent for a moment as she pondered the possibilities. After a moment, she spoke up in a whisper.

"…Tell them I can stay."

Natsu frowned.

"Tell who, Lucy?"

She took a deep breath before looking back to him. "The nurses, Natsu. They keep telling me I need to go home, get away for a little bit so I can get rid of some stress. I don't want to leave you Natsu… Tell them I can stay…I don't want to leave… Tell them I can stay…"

Natsu could hear his heart breaking at the hopeless tone in her voice. It was as if she had been worn down and defeated by what had happened in the days he had been unconscious. It was strange, he concluded, that even though he was the one in the hospital bed, Lucy seemed to be in the most pain. Natsu would always say that he wished he was the one who was hurt instead of Lucy, but now that it was him who was injured, it seemed even worse for her.

It was a lose-lose situation, but he was going to make the best out of it.

"Okay, Lucy… I'll tell them you can stay. But you have to promise me you'll take better care of yourself. I want you to make sure you try and sleep and eat 3 meals a day. I can't stand to see you suffering, Lu, and I won't let it happen on my watch."

She stared at him for a moment, mouth open in awe. If she wasn't so hurt at that time, Natsu might've found that face cute. He smiled reassuringly, and she nodded furiously, whimpering slightly. He hugged her close.

"…Everything's fine now, right?" She spoke up after a while, her sobs receding into slight hiccups.

"Not until you get some sleep." He told her sternly. She frowned, but he knew he was right. Though, he hated to be so serious with her, especially when she looked so frail, her red-rimmed eyes dull in the dark room.

"Pardon me," Carol came back in, eyes downcast as she lingered in the doorway. She didn't want to intrude on a tender moment, probably. Carol was thoughtful like that.

"I need to have a word with Natsu. If you could just step outside for a moment, Miss." Carol said to Lucy. She was using her formal, nurse-voice. Natsu detected a twinge of pity though in her voice for Lucy. The girl inhaled sharply, fear in her eyes.

"Natsu… Please…" She mumbled. It pained him to send her away, but he knew from experience that Carol only used her nurse-voice when she meant business.

"Just for a minute, Lucy, I promise. Why don't you go see if you can steal two plates of lunch from the meal tray for you and Happy?" He told her gently. How impossibly sad she looked… He almost asked Carol if she could stay, just so he didn't have to see that face.

But, she left without another word, shuffling around Carol and leaving them.

His nurse walked directly to his bedside, her heels clacking noisily in the quiet room. She sat down next to him, her lips forming a tight line. She was worried. Really worried.

"And here I thought you'd grow out of your wildness. But I suppose being reckless is just in your nature." She let out her breath. Natsu raised an eyebrow at her.

"…But, I'll be fine, right? You'll fix me up?" He asked her. It wasn't as if he doubted Carol's training, but if he didn't get better, he'd just be a bigger burden to his comrades. Carol smiled, glancing at his chart again.

"You'll recover. It'll take time, but nothing permanent. According to your charts, you don't have any sort of internal bleeding or anything, so for a slayer like you, I'd expect you to be fully recovered in about a month." She reassured him. Natsu sighed, relieved. He ran a hand through his hair. Since when did he start sweating?

"But enough of that, I've been dying to know, have you found your father yet?" There was a twinkle to her eyes, but that was nothing new to Natsu; that twinkle was always there when the two discussed Natsu's goals.

His throat constricted. Igneel? They had come close, he was sure of it. They found dragons, after all.

"No, I… I haven't." He sounded unsure, like he himself couldn't believe it. Carol's smile fell. How long had it been since they discussed his lost father in a hospital room? It had been many years.

It all came crashing down on Natsu then. He hadn't found his father. He hadn't done anything. Natsu bit his lip, his eyes stung. Who was to say that he could ever find Igneel? Hell, he had been on the mountain Igneel was seen on for over a month, but he still couldn't reach him. For all they knew, Igneel could have left when Lucy saw him. He had accomplished nothing since Igneel left. He was sitting in a hospital bed, doing nothing, wasting time, and for what?

"I haven't- I haven't progressed at all…"

Stuck. Natsu felt stuck. It was impossibly frustrating to think about. What had he been doing all these years? The seasons blurred together rapidly. Memories of tragedy were sharper than others. Fairy Tail. Carol asked him about Fairy Tail a lot. What had he done there? He wasn't an S-Class mage yet. He still couldn't beat Erza, not even Gray.

Had he really not gotten any stronger? Was he really still the ignorant Wild Boy that Carol suggested?

"Natsu,"

Her voice was low, and Natsu realized that he had been seething in a half-conscious state. He put his face in his hands, his body trembling as Carol patted his hair soothingly.

Pathetic, he thought, I've done nothing.

"Nothing…"

"Nothing?" She sounded surprised. He lifted his head and caught her eyes, still twinkling.

"How can you say you've done _nothing_?" She said the word with such disgust, like she wanted to chew it up and spit it out on the cold tiles beneath her feet, like she was personally offended by his choice of words.

"Because I haven't!" He snapped. Carol wasn't fazed, she laid her hand on top of the trembling fist he didn't remember making.

"Natsu, I _know_ you have progressed. You've grown, haven't you? Gone on many fun adventures? You have lots of friends now too, in your guild right?"

His guild. Natsu's heart twisted painfully in his chest. He missed his guild terribly.

"Yeah, yeah I have my friends there." He sounded detached, like he knew the people from Fairy Tail, but he wasn't a part of it anymore. With his left hand, he traced around the guild emblem that had marked him for so long.

"And what about that girl?" Carol asked with a raised eyebrow. He chuckled.

"Yeah, that's Lucy." He said softly. He couldn't help but smile when he thought about her, about everything they had done together.

"It says on your chart that she's your wife. Are you going to try and tell me that your marriage hasn't changed your life?"

"Of course it has!" Natsu cried, the thought of someone misunderstanding how lucky he was to have Lucy making him angry. "Lucy is the best thing that ever happened to me!"

Carol simply smiled at him with a knowing look in her eye.

"Oh…" Natsu said dumbly as Carol's message became clear.

"That woman, that cat, and your friends all love you very much, Natsu. You might not have found your father yet, but you definitely found your family. And I think that's a wonderful accomplishment."

Natsu couldn't respond for a moment. He was speechless. How in the world had he overlooked that, even for a second? He had a wonderful life, despite all of the hardships he had endured. He just needed a little reminder.

"Thanks, Carol."

"No problem." She said with a smile, ruffling his hair as she handed him a glass of water. "Now, I'm going to put some pain medicine in your IV that will help your headache, but it is going to make you tired. If anything seems strange though, press this button and get someone to come and get me immediately, okay?"

Natsu nodded to her as she began fidgeting with his IV bag.

"Say, Carol… Can you help me watch Lucy? I wanna make sure she stays healthy. She doesn't really take good care of herself when she's sad, and I don't want to lose track of her just because I'm sleeping."

"Absolutely! I want to learn all about this young lady who married my little wild child!" She said with a laugh, bringing a smile to Natsu's lips. Carol's spirit was infectious like that. Like a mom talking to her precious child. It occurred to Natsu that he never wondered if Carol had any kids of her own. How had that slipped his mind? Even as a kid, Natsu never wondered if Carol was a mom. He decided then that he didn't want to know. Carol would make a great mother, sure, but Natsu knew his own tendencies, and he would probably get jealous of the kid for having the honor of calling Carol 'Mama'. He almost laughed, unable to decide if he was being childish or mature.

"Now, what do you say we let her back in? It really did break my heart to make her leave… But policies are policies…"

Natsu shook his head. He knew Carol would be the last person to upset Lucy if she had any say in the matter. "It's okay. I just want her to be able to stay with me as much as she can."

"I'll bring her in, then." Carol chimed, patting his knee as she stood up. "Be sure and try to keep things quiet and dark so your head injury can heal."

The boy nodded as she opened the door, Lucy standing silently on the other side with a plate of untouched food in her hands. Carol said something to her as she passed, eliciting a soft smile from Lucy as she stepped inside.

"Hey…" She spoke in a small voice, watching him with careful eyes.

"Hey." Natsu replied, patting his bedside, encouraging her to sit down by him. She complied quickly, putting her plate down on the end table and gently sitting down. He hated being treated so fragilely by her. The boy slipped his arm around her in silent retaliation, letting her know that he wasn't so breakable.

She cuddled up next to him, sharing half the bed. It was cramped, but Natsu didn't care. All the more reason to be as close to her as possible. She picked up the plate and held it in her lap, taking small spoonful's of peas, chewing slowly.

"'Atta girl! You'll be better in no time!" He smiled, making her grin with her mouth full. He giggled at the sight, bringing her to laugh as well. Lucy started feeding him slices of fruit from her tray. The drugs started kicking it. Natsu's head spun with dizziness as his eyelids drooped.

"We'll get outta here soon, Lucy. We'll go back home and be happy again." He murmured, his head lolling to the side. She kissed him lightly, patting his hair lovingly.

"I'm already happy. You're alive, and with me. I can't think of anything that would make me happier right now."

They spent the next week in recovery. Lucy didn't need to be there of course, but she never left Natsu's side, which was fine by him. Doctors and nurses came by in blurs, Carol being the only one that stood out. The two came to be known as 'The Lovebirds in the Infirmary' among the staff and patients. Lucy thought it was cute. As it came time for them to leave, Natsu knew he would miss Carol. But the boy missed his home-life more. Thus, they left the hospital and went back to their little shack on the mountain.

In the following three weeks, the family settled back into a comfortable pattern of normalcy. They didn't talk about the accident; instead, they tried to forget. The only reminders of it were the pain medicine Natsu took twice a day and the dark bags under Lucy's eyes.

As peaceful as his days had become, he couldn't help but feel too sedentary. Inactivity made him restless. It always had. So, Natsu decided that exercise would help him. Lucy came along with him on little nature walks, not looking for anything in particular. At first, it was just few-minute walks, but as the weeks progressed, Natsu found that he could go longer distances. He was delighted to see how fast his body was healing. Lucy was especially happy for that.

Lucy. Lucy was worrying him. Over the time that they had been home, she seemed to have fallen into a strange state. She slept all the time now, which he would usually see as a good sign that she was doing better, but no matter how much she slept, she would still be tired when she woke up. The dark bags under her eyes wouldn't go away. Not to mention her eating habits were off lately as well. She never ate big meals, only cups of yogurt throughout the day. He could tell she didn't feel well, but whenever he approached her about it, she simply brushed him off, saying she would sleep it off. Her answers never eased his spirit though, and he continued to watch her warily.

It was about 5 weeks after they were attacked that things took a turn for the worse.

"Lucy?" Natsu turned around when he heard her footsteps change pace after she had been walking behind him on a rather long nature walk. He wanted to push his limit today. In retrospect, he should've been thinking of Lucy instead of himself. His eyes widened in horror as he saw her slip to the ground all at once, her face pale and skin rather clammy.

_"Lucy!"_

He clambered to her side, catching her before her knees could hit the ground. The boy held her in his lap, frantically searching for signs of injury as she bunched up the fabric of his shirt with her fist.

"Lucy, Lucy are you okay?!" He wanted to smack himself. Of course she wasn't okay. Nonetheless, she nodded shakily.

"Yeah, fine. Just… Dizzy. Can… Can we stop for a while?" She asked. Her voice had a weary tone to it that made Natsu's skin crawl. He promptly picked her up and held her tight.

"'Course Lucy, whatever you want." He whispered to her. Natsu set her down under the shade of an ancient oak. He sat down heavily beside her, suddenly feeling tired as well. Lucy's breathing was steadying.

"Let's just nap here… Just for a bit…" Lucy mumbled. Her eyes were closed, like she was already dozing off. Natsu put an arm around her protectively, deciding to let her sleep.

This was getting out of hand. They left the hospital weeks ago, and only Lucy hadn't recovered. Even Happy had come out of his stupor. But Lucy… All she did was sleep. It wasn't uncommon nowadays to have her wake up past noon and find her passed out on the couch at 9pm.

He sighed. Natsu felt distanced from Lucy now that he couldn't seem to spend as much time with her. It was painful. He remembered that pain. It was familiar, akin to the kind of hurt he felt back when the lived in Magnolia, before she said 'I love you'.

Natsu bit his lip, tears pricking into his eyes as he watched the color come back to her face. He buried his face in her hair, breathing in deeply that scent he loved. Relaxing immediately, he told himself that things would be okay.

After an hour or two, Lucy was still asleep.

"Hey, Lu… I think we should just go home…" Natsu said quietly, a worried frown etched on his lips. She simply nodded in a sleepy state. He tried to pick her up, but she brushed him away.

"No… I can walk just as well as you can…" She protested lamely. He bit his lip, not really sure he believed that. He complied though, helping her to her feet and holding her hand as they walked back home.

He opened the door, Happy greeting them cheerfully as they came inside.

"Hey guys! You're back early-" The cat laid his sights on Lucy and her tired and weakened appearance. "…Is everything okay?"

Lucy nodded silently as she stumbled over to the bed, collapsing on the mattress with a shaky sigh.

Natsu frowned, walking over to her and pulling her shoes off. She hadn't even bothered to take them off before going to bed. After sliding them off, he walked over to the dresser and pulled out her flannel pjs, the ones she always wore when she wanted to feel extra comfortable.

"Here, put these on, Lu…" He said softly, handing the clothes to her. She started to dress herself mechanically, her half-aware state leaving her dazed, but she swayed from side to side as she couldn't seem to steady herself.

"Lucy…" He said with a concerned tone, sitting next to her and helping her slide them on. At any other time, undressing and dressing Lucy this way would have aroused him to no end, but any thoughts pertaining to that kind of mindset didn't even cross his mind. Not when Lucy was feeling this bad. As it was now, he just wanted to take care of her.

As they finally got her pajamas on, she slid under the sheets, exhaling shakily as she was finally able to remain still. He tucked the blanket around her and kissed her forehead, lingering there for a moment in her presence.

"Sweet dreams…"

He heard feet hit the floor. Half-asleep, he let his eyes peak open, seeing the room dark as he laid in bed. It must have been around 3 AM based on how dark it was. He groaned, rolling to the side and trying to fall back asleep.

His sharp ears caught retching sounds coming from the bathroom. The boy, now alert, sat up straight and turned to Lucy's side of the bed.

Not there.

Natsu flipped up the covers and made a quick sprint to the bathroom, finding Lucy hunched over the toilet. He resisted the urge to cover his nose. Vomit.

He was at her side in an instant, pulling back her hair. She looked to him then, finally registering his presence after feeling her hair get bunched up.

"Nats-" Her face abruptly turned back to the toilet bowl, making awful, wet choking noises. Patting her back, the boy kept her hair away from her face as Lucy emptied her stomach. She shuddered, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand as she fell on him.

"Oh, Lucy…" He cooed. Something was very wrong with this scene. Lucy wasn't this vulnerable, shaking person in front of him. He wasn't going to let her brush this off. Enough was enough.

"I'm getting a doctor, first thing tomorrow." He said with finality. He wasn't going to take no for an answer. She nodded shakily, goose bumps covering her arms as she wiped the skin beneath her nose. She was making strange noises with her throat, no doubt getting ready to vomit again.

"Happy, are you awake?" Natsu called out as Lucy began dry heaving. He rubbed her back soothingly as she slouched over the toilet bowl. "Happy, can you bring us a blanket and a wet rag?"

Moments later, Happy flew in, a very concerned look on his face as he handed Natsu what he had asked for. The boy mouthed a small thank you to him as he draped the blanket over Lucy's arms, using the rag to try and wipe away the clamminess from her face and neck.

"Th…Thanks…" She said wearily after a few minutes, falling against his chest with shaky breaths. Lord, how he hated to see her sick. He wiped her chin, holding the rag on her forehead for a moment as she rested.

"Of course…" He said quietly, trying not to disturb her. "Lu, what happened? Did you just wake up like this?"

She shook her head hesitantly. "No… I woke up a few hours ago… I thought it would pass…"

Natsu frowned. She had been sick for a while? Had she tried to wake him up earlier? No, he would have shot up the minute she said she felt sick. She had let him sleep instead of asking him for help.

And that hurt him.

"Lucy, why didn't you wake me up? I would have-"

She dove forward as she vomited harshly, struggling to catch her breath in between her heaving. He sighed. He wouldn't dare press her on the matter; not when she was like this.

They stayed that way, gathered together on the cold, tile floor as Lucy slowly gained control of her stomach.

"Lucy, let's get back in bed…" Natsu suggested quietly after a few minutes of peace, silently telling Happy to get a bucket. She didn't bother responding; she was far too exhausted to speak anymore, and that fact alone made him feel horribly worried.

He gently helped her to her feet, supporting most of her weight as he led her back to the bed. He sat her slightly upright, letting her lean against him on her left side to relieve some of the nausea she was feeling. Her eyes would flutter open and closed, as if she was exhausted but not comfortable enough to sleep. It was absolutely pitiful, and he couldn't stand it.

"Lucy… Next time, please wake me up when you aren't feeling good. There's no reason for you to stay up all alone. I'd stay up with you." He whispered softly as he kissed her hair, rubbing the cold off of her arms for her. She mumbled something unintelligible as she nodded dumbly, her body seeming to relax as he began pulsing heat into her. It was times like these that he was extremely glad he was a fire mage, so that he could help her when she needed him. He continued to try and comfort her as she slowly drifted to sleep, Natsu deciding he would spend the rest of the night trying to keep her relaxed and asleep before heading out early to find a doctor.

It was going to be a long day.


	27. Chapter 27

Lucy inhaled sharply as she was startled awake by a slight movement beneath her; her mind was fogged with confusion and exhaustion. She felt like she was falling, and she hated to wake up like that. It was always so uncomfortable. She wrung the sheets in her palms, running her tongue across her teeth as she tried to rid her mouth of the awful taste from the night before. She wasn't nearly as nauseas, but she still didn't feel up to par. She felt the movement beneath her stop as Natsu wrapped his arms around her midsection.

"Sorry, Lu… I didn't mean to wake you up." The boy whispered softly, obviously displeased that he had accidentally disturbed her slumber. She sighed as she leaned back on him for a moment, still somewhat dazed from her lack of sleep.

"What… What time is it…?" The girl asked groggily, looking to the window to see a shade of pink taking over the sky. Sunrise.

"It's about 6:30 in the morning. I'm about to head to town to get a doctor." Natsu said quietly as he slipped out from underneath her. She frowned at the absence of his warmth. He started to tuck the covers tight around her, but she brushed him away.

"No, I'm going to get up. I feel a little better. Maybe we don't need to get-"

"No." He said firmly, his voice somewhat irritated as she tried to brush off her condition yet again. "Lucy, I am getting a doctor, and you are going to stay in bed and get better. I'm not going to let you push this off anymore, not after last night."

Lucy sighed. She knew she wasn't getting out of this, but she really hated doctors. She wouldn't tell Natsu, but she was actually afraid of them, afraid of what they would say. She had heard too much bad news concerning her mother as a child, and she was always afraid that one day, she would hear something similar about herself.

That fear had been running rampant in her mind in the past few weeks. Now she had to face it. She covered up her apprehension with a smile, trying to make herself and Natsu feel better, even if he didn't know about her fear.

"Alright, alright…" She mumbled, following orders for now as she dipped under the covers. He grinned, dashing around the house and babbling about how she'd be better soon and something about soup- she wasn't really listening.

_What if it's bad news? How will I tell Natsu? If it is Mama's disease, will I die?_

Lucy's throat constricted and she fought off the urge to cry as Natsu's voice reached her.

"-And Lucy, you should call Loke, in case you get lonely or whatever." He said, lingering in the doorway, his eyes trained on her. Her heart melted a bit when he gave her that adoring look. He really did care about her…

_What would Natsu do if I died?_

"Yeah, I think I'll call Loke… Be safe, Natsu." She said in a small voice. Natsu, with his face clear of any sign that he recognized her anxiety, came up to her and kissed her forehead gently.

"'Course I will, Lu."

The door shut with a final click, sending shivers up her spine. It was quiet. Lucy looked around the empty house. It seemed bleak, now that there was no pink or blue darting about, making her laugh.

She hated being alone.

Lucy sat up, pulling her legs to her chest. Happy was with Natsu, but only because she insisted that the cat go with him. The talkative feline couldn't keep a secret, and if she ended up giving into the anxious tears that were forming in her eyes, he would definitely tell Natsu. She missed them nonetheless. She wondered if her boys felt lonely without her, if they felt her absence as much as she felt theirs.

She sighed loudly, steeling herself to summon Loke.

"Open, Gate of the Lion- Loke!"

In a puff of smoke, the spirit appeared, his suit and orange hair immaculate as always. He was already posed, one hand behind his back and the other at his glasses.

"Dear Lucy, it feels like an eternity since-" He really looked at her then, stopping mid-speech. He gawked, paling slightly. Lucy felt nervous under his gaze.

"Lucy- Lucy you look… Ah… Where's Natsu?" He dropped the knight in shining armor pretense and sat at her side. She knew she didn't look as good as she could, and she hadn't cared. That's what came with being sick for weeks, she supposed.

"I know, I'm sick. Natsu went down the mountain to find a doctor." Lucy told him. Loke's eyes widened, and the girl couldn't help but notice how out of place the vibrant lion was in this small, quiet house. Even the golden floors lost their brilliance when Natsu and Happy weren't there.

"How long have you been sick, Lucy?" He leaned in closer, pressing the back of his hand to her forehead.

"A few… A few days." An understatement. Loke glared at her. She gave in. "About five weeks."

The spirit's jaw dropped as he gaped openly at her. She looked away nervously, not liking where this conversation was going.

"Where was Natsu when you were sick? Dammit, what kind of husband is he, letting you be sick for this long?!" He scolded loudly, trying to keep his cool. Lucy fumbled for words.

"N-No, you're wrong! He's been a great husband! I just didn't want to bother him with my own silly needs." The words sounded lame coming from her mouth, even to her.

"And why couldn't you bother him?" Loke asked, the distaste written plainly on his face. Lucy fidgeted with her blanket.

"He's been… _Preoccupied_." She cringed at the word. Since they had gotten out of the hospital, it was a general, unspoken rule not to talk about the incident. But now that she had to talk about it out loud with Loke, the painful memories began flooding back.

"Oh yes, I'm sure he has been very busy." The lion said sarcastically, practically spitting on the words as they escaped his lips. "What in the world could possibly have been going on that took precedence over you for the last five we-"

"He was hurt, Loke!" The girl said louder than she wanted to. Loke's mouth shut with an audible click as tears welled up in Lucy's eyes.

"He was really, _really _hurt!"

"…What do you mean 'hurt'?" He said after a moment. Lucy gulped. She didn't want to remember.

"…I mean _hurt_, Loke. We were in the hospital for a week. Natsu had to recover… He was in horrible shape, Loke." She said in a very small voice, practically a whisper. "I'm lucky he didn't die right there…"

The color drained from the lion's face. Lucy began to feel a little ashamed that she kept this from him. Loke was Natsu's friend too, after all, and the last thing he needed to hear was that they had both been suffering without his knowledge.

"So Natsu had to recover… But you could've called for help, Lucy. You could've called me at any time." He told her gently, squeezing her hand affectionately.

"I know- and I meant to- but… I just… I lost track of the time. Five days became five weeks before I knew what was going on. It would've been five months if Natsu hadn't put his foot down. He's so worried about me Loke. I hate to make him worry…"

"So, you just lost track of time?" He asked. She nodded. Loke sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair.

"And all this time, we thought you guys were honeymooning…" He mumbled. Lucy blushed.

"I wish…" She said, laughing half-heartedly. She hadn't even thought about all the time they wasted. If Natsu didn't get knocked off that cliff, if she hadn't gotten sick, they probably wouldn't be in this situation.

Lucy blanked for a moment, wondering what would be happening if they hadn't been attacked… What if they were all together as a family instead of separated, trying to figure out what was wrong with her? They'd be having breakfast, she decided, laughing and smiling. Natsu's hair would be ruffled cutely, and he'd kiss her good morning. She'd giggle, shoving him away with a pancake. Happy would get syrup on his fur, and they would laugh as he flew around the room in a panic. Just another bright day with the people she loved.

"Lucy?" She blinked. "I kind of lost you there for a second." The lion told her worriedly. He reached out and touched her cheek, running his thumb over her skin.

"You're crying, love." He murmured.

Lucy bit her lip. She was always crying nowadays, even when she didn't have a reason. She could be having a perfectly fine day- well as fine as they come recently- and for no reason she would just have the urge to break down in tears, and all she would want was for Natsu to hold her.

Now was no different, and Lucy was forced to recognize that this was her first time apart from Natsu in a long time. She knew it was bad to be so dependent on his presence, but that was just the thing- they were dependent on each other, a team through and through. And although Lucy knew for certain that Natsu probably missed her just as much, something about her need to be near him felt stronger recently, even more so in the last few days. Maybe it was just because she was feeling ill, but she felt horribly uneasy when Natsu wasn't within reach.

She couldn't hold it anymore. She leaned into Loke's chest, burying her face into the fabric of his suit and letting the tears flow. He was startled at first, but he quickly came to and wrapped his arms around her, the lion's protective side surfacing immediately.

"Lucy…"

She tightened her grip around him.

"Lucy, tell me what you're thinking."

She hesitated, not sure she could find the strength to finally say what she was scared of, what had been tearing at her sanity for the last few weeks. She took in a shaky breath as her body tensed, her voice barely audible as she spoke.

"What… What if I have the same disease as Mama…?"

He went rigid.

"Loke… What if I _die…_?"

"Y-You won't!" He blurted. Lucy looked up at him sadly. It took a lot to shake the brave lion. "I don't know, Lucy. You're probably worrying over nothing." She shook her head.

"No, Loke it's- something just feels _off…_"

The spirit frowned. "Lucy, if you thought something was seriously wrong, why didn't you tell someone?"

The girl dug her face deeper into his chest, feeling ashamed of her answer. "I was afraid…"

The spirit sighed. "Lucy, it's okay to be afraid, but you can't just ignore your body when there's a problem." He said in a soft yet stern tone. "You shouldn't have waited this long…"

The girl bit her lip. She knew he was right. He uncoiled himself from around her, leaning her back so that she would lie down.

"…But what's done is done. All we can do now is wait for Natsu to get back with the doctor."

Lucy sighed, feeling more anxious as the moments passed. Loke smiled knowingly at her before placing his lips on the back of her hand like the concerned gentleman he was.

The door flew open.

"Lucy, I'm back! Do you feel any bet-"

She could see her husband's mind jumping to the worst conclusion just like he always did as Loke lifted his head and released her hand.

"No fair Loke, _she's mine_!" Natsu exclaimed, flailing his arms, steam coming from his ears.

"Natsu you've got it all wrong-"

"Foul! I call foul on Loke!" He yelled, jabbing a finger at the spirit and hopping from foot to foot. "Happy, you saw it! Call foul play!"

"Aye! Foul on Loke!"

The cat and boy jabbered in the doorway, comically shouting and overreacting about an incident they made up.

"Natsu, please, this isn't a basketball ga-"

"_Foul_!"

Lucy put a hand to her forehead, sighing heavily. She couldn't help but smile. Those dorks made her world colorful again.

"Are you sure you aren't just sick of these idiots, Lucy?" Loke nudged her with a grin. She burst out laughing, holding her sides as Natsu blushed madly, any resentment he might have held for the sly comment diminishing when he saw her smiling. A chorus of laughter came quickly after that, the mood lightening as a moment of happiness filled their hearts.

"Okay, okay, that's enough out of you, wild boy! Let's have a look at her." A sweet voice rang out from behind the slayer. Natsu stepped to the side to reveal Carol standing in the doorway.

"O-Oh! Hi, Carol. Nice to see you again…" Lucy stuttered, not expecting Natsu to bring a nurse instead of a doctor. She looked to him skeptically.

"Sorry, Lu… I didn't really know who to get, so I asked Carol to help." The boy said nervously as he came over and sat next to her on the bed.

"Don't worry, Lucy. I brought a co-worker of mine who makes house calls. He's very capable of helping you." Carol assured her. She traveled to her side as an older man came inside and set a black bag of medical instruments on the table. The nurse smiled softly as she patted her patient's hand. "I'm simply here because I was worried about you and wanted to make sure you were okay."

Lucy smiled. Carol seemed to know what she was doing, and Natsu trusted her, so she would too. The nurse sat down beside Lucy while the doctor pulled up a chair, handing Carol a clipboard. He seemed like the silent type.

"Okay, firstly, describe what you're feeling." The doctor asked as Carol looked at her intently. Not at her at her, more like, she was looking at Lucy's body, not her as a person. It was just something nurses and doctors did, but Lucy never really got used to it.

"Alright! Let's get started!" Natsu said cheerfully, Happy flying into his lap. She tensed, looking to Loke briefly before confronting Natsu.

"Um, actually guys… I'd rather do this on my own. Could you wait outside?" She asked, sugarcoating the message as much as she could, but Natsu's expression still turned from one of hope to one of confused pain. Loke shot her a glare, berating her with his eyes. Lucy winced inwardly.

_I know I'm wrong, Loke. I know I should tell him everything and let him be a part of this, but I still don't want Natsu here… If it is something bad, I want to tell him myself- I don't care if it's the wrong decision!_

"But… Why?" He sounded hurt. Goodness, how she hated that tormented tone in his voice. She swallowed back a lump in her throat.

"I want to do this alone." She said clearly, finally. "Please Natsu, it won't take long. You can just go collect some more firewood while I'm getting checked out. Plus, I'm in good hands." She glanced at Carol, then back to Natsu. "Do it for me?" She pleaded.

Natsu blinked, not sure how to take this. He sighed in defeat. "Alright, for you then." He turned to leave, Happy perched on his shoulder with a semi-gloomy look. Then, like a second thought, he wheeled around with a smile on his face.

"Take good care of her Carol- And be good, Lucy!"

The door clicked shut, and her boys were gone again. She sighed.

"I suppose I should be going as well." Loke stood up, brushing off his suit front. He caught Lucy's eye, his gaze asking if she was sure that she wanted to do this alone. She gave him a small smile as she nodded to him softly. She wasn't lying when she told Natsu she wanted to be alone. The lion spirit sighed, not approving of her decision, but respecting her wishes nonetheless. He was gone in a puff of smoke, jolting Carol and doctor, who didn't know Loke was a spirit.

"Anyways," Carol started, gaining her composure quickly. "We're just going to run through some simple tests. Natsu told me you've been sleeping a lot, is that true? He was also reasonably startled by your vomiting and eating habits."

Lucy wrung her hands nervously. Was Natsu really that worried?

"Yes, that's all true." She said finally. Carol wrote some notes on the clipboard as the doctor began taking tools out of his bag. He took her blood pressure and pulse after measuring her height and weight, standard doctor stuff as far as she was concerned. He listened to her breathing and asked more questions about her symptoms before sharing a glance with Carol. Lucy frowned.

"…What's wrong?" She asked in a small voice. She knew that when doctors looked to each other that way, it meant that they had an idea of what was wrong. Carol smiled at her as the doctor pulled up closer to the bed.

"Nothing's wrong, Lucy. I just have a few questions for you myself. Do you mind if I take over for a moment?" The nurse said softly, handing the clipboard to the doctor. They had definitely found something, making Lucy very nervous. Nonetheless, she nodded to Carol, letting her know she was open to answering any questions she had.

"Now, are you sexually active?"

Lucy flinched. Her sex life? She had never discussed it with anyone. Ever since Natsu got hurt, they hadn't been doing much of anything, much to her dismay, but she supposed the answer was…

"Y-Yes…"

A blush came to Lucy's face. She had never said yes to that question before. It felt strange, even embarrassing. Carol giggled under her breath.

"Honey, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. You and Natsu are _married_, after all."

Lucy smiled. Carol really was a very kind woman.

"Now when was the last time you had your period?"

Lucy had to think for a minute. When was that? All the days had been blurring together recently. "Well, I skipped last month, but that's pretty normal for me when I'm stressed."

Carol looked to her knowingly before stepping to the side. "That's all the questions I'm going to ask for now. We have one more test to do."

The doctor must've taken that as his cue to do something because he rose to his feet. Carol patted her hand before switching seats with the doctor, who looked at Lucy indifferently.

With a simple hand flourish, the man made a magic circle appear. It was yellow and bright, illuminating the room.

"This may feel odd; just try to stay still." Carol said. Lucy didn't look at her; she couldn't take her eyes off the circle. The thing was strangely hypnotizing.

The man poked the center of the swirling circle, and then, all at once, it exploded into a million golden particles. Lucy suppressed a gasp, trying to stay still- she'd never seen a magic circle explode like that.

The golden dust settled on her. They felt warm. Her skin tingled as a creeping feeling came over her, making her shudder.

"That's normal; just stay still a little longer." Carol murmured soothingly. The dust dissolved into her skin, all the little lights winking out.

The doctor silently drew another swirling yellow circle, bigger this time. Lucy held her breath as he poked the center of it, just like the last one. But instead of exploding, the circle rotated faster, till it was a blur. In a moment, Lucy's vision was suddenly overpowered with gold, the dust being sucked right from her skin. They homed in on the bigger circle, settling into the edges as the entire circle turned a brilliant shade of blue. The doctor smiled to Carol as he clapped his hands, his magic disappearing all at once. Lucy let out her breath.

"What was _that_?" She sputtered, looking to Carol. She had her mouth covered with one hand, looking emotional. This startled Lucy, until she realized that Carol was smiling behind her hand.

"Sweetheart, you're not sick."

Lucy looked to her with a puzzled gaze. "What… What do you mean?"

"You're _pregnant_, Lucy. You and Natsu are going to have a baby."

"Natsu and I… We? Oh." Lucy held her forehead in her palm, eyes wide. Relief flooded her. She wasn't sick. One problem was gone, but now another one had surfaced.

_Pregnant?_

How was she supposed to feel about this? How was Natsu going to feel about this? A baby was a lot to handle, especially since she'd been blindsided to the news. This isn't how she pictured it. She didn't want to be surprised. Was she even ready for a baby?

Lucy looked down at her stomach, placing a hand there. No traces of a baby yet, not that she saw anyway. Frustrated tears pricked into her eyes. Pregnancy hormones, she reminded herself, but that only frustrated her further.

"Carol… Carol what do I do now?" She asked, cringing at the desperation in her voice. Change was scary, and, admittedly, Lucy was scared.

"Well, I've worked in pediatric health for a long time and have dealt with a lot of pregnant women, so I think we should discuss a few things together before you go and find a prenatal doctor." Lucy nodded, bunching up the fabric of her blanket.

"Firstly, do you drink, do drugs, or use any sort of pesticides in your house?" That was an easy no.

"Secondly, are there any illnesses that run in your family?" Lucy flinched, looking down at her balled up hands. Her knuckles were white.

"Actually, there was something…" Lucy piped up. Carol leaned forward, a quizzical look on her face.

"I don't know a lot about it, but my Mama died of a rare disease. She'd had it all her life. It became dormant as she matured, but it came back after she was pregnant with me…" She trailed off. Lucy never had to talk about this before, especially not to doctors. How long would she live, Lucy wondered, if she really did have her Mama's disease; what if the disease was dormant in her, just waiting for the chance to strike her dead?

"Crux would know more about it than I do. He knows about all of the summoners." She blurted without thinking.

"Another one of your spirits?" Carol questioned, glancing at her chart. Lucy nodded, mechanically lifting Crux's key, saying the words she knew by heart.

"Open, gate of the southern cross- Crux!"

The elderly spirit appeared in a puff of smoke, levitating in the air as he always did. He was more vigilant than usual, a worried scowl on his face.

"Hum, it has been quite a long time, young Lucy. I hear from Leo that you are not feeling well? Do you require my services, hum?"

Lucy looked down to her stomach.

_I suppose I should tell him…_

"I'm fine, Grandpa Crux… More than fine actually…" She placed her hand on her abdomen, taking in a deep breath as she met his glance with a shaky smile. "I'm… I'm pregnant."

_THUMP_.

The spirit fell to the floor, his levitation powers failing him for a second. Lucy couldn't help but laugh at his bewildered expression.

"Con-Congratulations, young Lucy! This is most wonderful news indeed! Hum, yes, this is a surprise, but I am quite happy for you!"

Lucy cast her gaze to the floor, not knowing how to handle the excitement over such a new development. She couldn't help but smile, though, especially upon seeing the beaming grin on her spirit's face.

"Thanks, grandpa Crux…" Her smile faded as she remembered why she summoned the spirit in the first place. "Can you look up the details of my mother's illness for me? We… We need to know more about it…"

The cross spirit must have noticed her dismay, his face becoming somber as he rose back into the air, falling into a state resembling sleep as he began to investigate the matter. The room was awkwardly silent as the spirit searched for information, Lucy waving off Carol's confusion.

**"AHAAAAAA!"**

The doctor and nurse both jumped at the spirit's outburst, Lucy giggling under her breath at their reaction.

"Did you find something, Grandpa?"

The spirit nodded to her. "Hum, I did indeed. In the spirit world, one's activity is a private matter, but it does not seem that any of this information is confidential, so I will be happy to share it with you."

The girl smiled to him as she settled back into the bed, only half-listening as Crux discussed the illness with Carol and the doctor. She didn't really want to hear it: the record of her mother's illness. She couldn't really focus right now, anyways. There was far too much on her mind.

_When should I tell Natsu? I bet he'll be excited. Or… He might not either. This was a real surprise after all. What if he doesn't want it? Do I want it? I… I think I want it. But am I ready? What would happen to the baby if I really do have Mama's illness? Could Natsu raise a baby by himself if I died?_

Unbeknownst to her, Lucy started quietly crying, silent tears sliding down her cheeks.

No, Fairy Tail would help him if I were absent…

"Lucy, did you hear me?" Carol's voice ripped through Lucy's worst case scenarios, bringing her back down to reality. She scrubbed away her tears with the back of her hand. Everyone there stared.

"Wh-What?" She asked, her voice oddly hoarse. Crux handed her a tissue.

"I said, you most likely do not have your mother's disease. Signs of that particular illness would've shown up in you by now, and it's highly unlikely that it would still be dormant. You're healthy, Lucy."

Healthy.

Lucy smiled brilliantly, clasping her hands tightly in front of her. She didn't speak, only letting out a long sigh of relief.

Healthy; that meant everything was going to be okay.

The girl sobbed into her hands, the threat of what might've been still shook her. But what now took precedence in Lucy's mind not what could've been, but what would be.

And she would be having a baby.

It took a while, but Lucy eventually gained control of herself while Crux patted her back and Carol gave her sips of water, the solemn doctor looking on with indifference.

"C-Carol," She hiccupped. "What should I do now, with the baby, I mean." Carol put her hand on her chin in thought.

"Well, you always have options Lucy. I recommend telling Natsu first and foremost. Prepare for the baby by going to a prenatal doctor. I know it seems like a lot right now, but just focus on telling Natsu about your health and the baby."

"Y-Yeah, I'll just do that…" She said, sounding slightly dazed. Should she tell him immediately? Lucy didn't think she could keep such a big secret from him for long. The girl was abruptly reminded of the memories of the months she had kept Igneel a secret from Natsu. Keeping secrets from him even then tore her up inside.

"Yeah, I'll tell him as soon as he gets back." She told Carol, more for her own reassurance than anything. Carol smiled as the doctor began packing up his tools, the man offering her a small congratulation before heading out the door, no doubt heading off to another patient somewhere else. His bedside manners weren't anything special, but even Lucy had to admit that man obviously knew what he was doing. Carol started to follow him, but as a second thought, she turned back around and wrapped the girl up in a hug, startling Lucy.

"He is going to be so happy, Lucy. You both are going to be so, _so _happy."

Lucy didn't know how to respond. She simply blanked for a second before a broad smile spread across her face.

"Definitely."

With a smile, Carol walked out the door and headed back to town. Lucy turned to Crux, giving him a hug and thanking him for helping her with the appointment.

"Hum, I suppose this information is confidential, young Lucy?" The old cross asked with a cheerful grin on his face. Lucy couldn't help but notice how happy he was for her. She hoped her other spirits would be just as happy.

"Yes, I'd like to tell everyone myself. Thank you Grandpa Crux."

With that, the elderly spirit disappeared to the celestial spirit world, leaving Lucy alone in the empty house.

Just her and her baby.

Lucy slumped over to her side, feeling awfully sensitive. Her sheets felt softer, and the daylight coming through the windows was blinding. The girl got out of bed for the first time that day, shuffling across the tiny house to close all of the blinds. Things she didn't pay attention to were becoming apparent, like how her torso stretched when she lifted her arms or how uniform her heel-to-toe movement seemed when she walked.

Tired. She felt tired. Lucy's knees buckled as she slumped to the floor, leaning against the refrigerator. She wasn't alarmed however, giving up just felt like the best option.

She wondered when Natsu would be home, her heartbeat picking up as she imagined his bright smile. On a whim, she decided she wanted a shower. Showers were good places to think, and Lucy couldn't remember the last time she had taken a nice, long, shower.

The girl found herself in the tub, the hot water pounding on her bare back. Getting undressed was a blur that she didn't quite remember going through. Her movements were mechanical, half-minded. She might've been at home, physically, but her mind was far off from the tiny house.

The tears fell freely, mingling with the shower's water. She covered her mouth with her palm in an effort to try and calm her shaky breathing.

"_Shit…_" She moaned hopelessly. The water was relentless against her skin; she felt hot and cold all at once. It was numbing.

_Pregnant… You're pregnant, Lucy. Do you have any idea what that means?_

Of course I do. Everything is going to be different now…

_You should have been more careful. You should have gotten the condoms before you had sex with him._

I didn't think I would get pregnant on the first time!

_You knew that was a possibility though. You know better than to have unprotected sex._

I just got so caught up in the moment… Is it really so bad that I'm pregnant though?

_Of course it is! You aren't ready for this!_

I-I don't know… I might be ready… I mean, I don't really have a choice. I've always wanted a baby…

_What about Natsu, though? He doesn't want kids._

He didn't say that! He said he hadn't thought about it before, and he would start thinking about it now!

_Well you didn't give him much time to think about it, did you?_

I didn't mean for this to happen!

_But it did!_

Is that such a bad thing though?

_He won't want it._

You don't know that for sure! To have a baby together… Natsu might be excited for this.

_Do you even have what it takes to raise a child?_

I think we do… Natsu would make a great father, I'm sure of it! And I think I could be a good mother…

_What about the money? The house? Do you even have the ability to take care of this child?_

Natsu and I might not have a lot of money, but we do make enough as mages. Things would be tighter, but we could do it I think…

_What if he doesn't want that? What if he isn't interested in having a child, in changing his life that way?_

He has to be…

_No, he doesn't. If he doesn't want the baby, then he doesn't have to deal with it. He could just leave._

No, he would never do that! He's my husband!

_Men walk out on their wives! You know that! He could just go back to the guild and act like nothing happened! He could just pretend it was just a mission, that everything on this mountain never even occur-_

**"SHUT UP!"**

Lucy's own frantic voice startled her. She choked out a sob.

_These stupid pregnancy hormones, creating such horrible thoughts in my head. It's so irrational…_

Lucy hated being irrational.

Lucy hated being unsure.

Lucy hated being scared.

And right now, she was all of these.

The trip back to the bedroom was a long one, and putting on clothes was even more of an endeavor. Still, she was thankful for the comfy flannels. At that point, Lucy needed all the comfort she could get.

She plopped down on the couch, exhausted, cocooning herself in a blanket, a towel draped haphazardly over her wet hair. The curtains were closed, dimming the light in the room. It suited the mood though; she felt the need to sulk for a little bit. She sniffled every now and then, but at least she wasn't sobbing anymore. As time passed, the mother-to-be waiting on the couch for her husband to return, the tears began to return as anxiety coursed through her veins.

_Natsu… Where are you?_

As if on cue, Natsu bursted through the door, his arms filled with wood from the forest.

"Lucy, I got the firewood! Now how did-"

The light from the outside world struck her tears, and the color came back into her life. He saw her then, and she couldn't move- couldn't breathe.

A panicked look shadowed his face. The logs hit the floor with a thud as he rushed towards her, Lucy spreading her arms out towards him as he slowly came within reach.

Her fingertips touched him.

Finally, she wasn't alone.

He enveloped her with his warmth, scooping her up and sitting her down on his lap. His strong arms encircled her protectively, a look of panic flashing in his dark eyes. That was it for Lucy; she didn't know if it was because she was relieved that he was home or scared of what he was going to say, but Lucy crumpled in his arms, sobbing violently into his shirt as he tucked himself around her.

"L-Lucy, what's wrong?! Are you hurt? What happened?"

She shook her head as she pulled herself closer to his chest, still spiraling through her emotions. Natsu sighed as he settled himself beneath her, his grip becoming more relaxed and less desperate as he tried to comfort her.

"Shh… Lucy, it's okay… I'm here now…" the boy cooed, placing a soft kiss in her hair as he rubbed her skin soothingly. "I'm here… I'm here…"

She curled closer to him, slowing her breathing. How did he know exactly how to make her feel better?

"Dammit, I knew I should've stayed here…" He muttered under his breath. She caught his eyes, blinking up at him through blurring tears.

"What did the doctors say, Lucy?" He asked in a low voice. She tensed.

"Wh-What did they say?"

"Yeah, what did Carol and the man say?" She couldn't look at him anymore, those big, concerned eyes boring right through her.

_I need to say something… But how?_

"Shit, Lucy…" He breathed, terror in his voice. "Is it… Is it something… Bad? You're not gunna…"

Lucy tensed as she recognized where his thoughts were. She shook her head furiously.

"N-No! No, it's nothing like that! It's… It's good… I think…"

The boy raised an eyebrow at that. "You _think_?"

She tugged herself closer to his chest, anxiety building up inside of her. "I… I'm not sure…"

He gulped audibly. She saw the tension in his face as he looked down at her. "What did they say, Lucy?"

Her eyes dropped to her stomach. Her lips moved, but words wouldn't form. He sighed heavily, dropping his face into her hair, letting his hands wrap around her midsection instinctively. His fingers were dancing on the answer, but he wasn't aware of it at all. She found her hands traveling to meet his, courage building up inside of her.

"Lucy… please…"

It was a whisper, a desperate plea. He needed to know. She needed to tell him. Finally, a sound escaped her lip.

"I… I'm…"

Natsu frowned. "You're wha-"

**_"I'M PREGNANT, NATSU!"_**

The words came out much faster and harsher than she meant for them too, but he heard her loud and clear. He went rigid, as if time had stopped in his mind. The air was painfully thick when he finally spoke up.

"You've gotta be kidding me…" He said breathlessly, his arms limp around her. Fear coursed through every fiber of her being. What did those words mean? She pushed herself further, daring to speak again, to either affirm or kill the overwhelming fear inside of her.

"Are… Are you happy…?" She whispered, almost inaudibly.

For an agonizing moment, he said nothing, did nothing, as if he went blank at her question. She went doe-eyed, her hands beginning to shake as silence filled the room.

He nodded.

"Y-Yeah…"

Her head flew up to see him looking down at her, a dumbfounded look on his face. It wasn't the reaction she expected, and it didn't satisfy her. It was too uncertain, too shaky.

"Are you… Are you sure?"

He tightened his grip around her as he thoughtfully placed his mouth in her hair, his lips forming a tight line as he contemplated his response.

"I just… I thought the worst was gunna happen." He murmured into her hair, sadness weighing heavily on his voice. "I couldn't live with that Lucy… I just- I _couldn't…_"

Lucy shook her head. "No… No, it's nothing like that…"

The room fell silent for a few moments, both of them taking in the reality of their situation. Slowly, his hand began slipping down to her lower stomach.

"Baby…"

She tensed upon hearing his voice. He sounded out of touch.

"_Baby…_"

She nodded silently.

Excitement built inside of him, traveling from his toes all the way to his head. His hands spun her around, eyes bright and misty as it burst out of him.

**_"LUCY, WE'RE GUNNA HAVE A BABY!"_**

She blinked at him in shock as his lips clashed with hers, passionately holding her against him. She melted into the kiss, the sensation overtaking all her worries for the time being. He couldn't help but smile as he pulled away, tears threatening to fall down his cheeks as he looked into her eyes. His smile faded slightly as he realized the panic in her eyes, but he quickly brought his lips to her forehead, pulling away with a harsh laugh.

"Lucy, Lucy this is wonderful!" He shouted, ignoring how loud his voice was in the small room. She looked to him skeptically, her persistent doubts refusing to subside just yet.

"You… You said you didn't know if you wanted kids…"

He shook his head vigorously.

"No, no I wasn't sure. But I thought about it Lucy; I said I'd think about it and I did." His eyes softened as he brushed her bangs back, smiling sweetly at her.

"Lucy, I'd _love _to have a baby with you."

Her lip quivered, big tears welling up in her eyes and starting to flow down her cheek.

"M-Me too… Oh Natsu, _me too_!"

She crushed herself against his chest, sobbing shakily into his shirt, but this time they were tears of relief, of joy. Tears were flowing freely over his cheeks now, the boy burying his face in her hair.

"We're having a baby… This is so wonderful, Lu…"

She gulped down a hiccup.

"I… I thought you might not want it…"

He flinched, tipping her head up, his eyes boring into hers.

"Lucy, of _course _I want it! It's our _baby_!"

Heavier tears began pouring down her cheek, overtaking her vision as she flung her arms around him, sobbing harshly into his neck. Relief rushed over her as the rest of her doubts poured onto his shoulder.

"Aw, Lucy…" He cooed with a slight chuckle. "It's okay, Lu… It's okay." He ran his fingers through her hair soothingly, kissing the top of her head as he tried to console her. She snuggled closer to him, slipping down into a more comfortable position as he held her steadfastly.

"I-I love you, Natsu…" She choked out, drawing a wide grin from his lips. He nuzzled against her, letting his hands travel to her sides, stroking her up and down before slipping to her stomach and resting on top of where the baby lay. Her hands traveled to meet his, the two of them relaxing as they held their unborn child.

After a few moments of peace, just as Lucy was beginning to be overtaken by the lack of sleep from last night, she felt Natsu tense. She frowned, looking up at him at the same moment he looked down to her. He had a serious expression on his face.

"Lucy… We need to go back."

"…Back where?" She knew what he meant, but she couldn't help but ask. She wanted to hear him say it.

"We need to go home, Lucy; to Fairy Tail."

The feeling that entered her heart was bittersweet. She was desperately missing her nakama, her home, but…

"We haven't found Igneel…" She said quietly, as if she was afraid to mention his father. Natsu smiled down at her with a heavy heart.

"I know… I know we haven't. And it's gunna be hard leaving this place when I know he's here…" He bit his lip, his voice on the edge of breaking at the thought, but he regained his composure quickly when their eyes met. "…But Lucy, I can't let you stay on this mountain that's crawling with dragons when you're pregnant with our child! What kind of husband would I be if I did that? What kind of father-"

His eyes grew wide as that word escaped his mouth, a knowing smile resting on Lucy's lips as he laughed softly at the thought of being called "daddy" by his child. He looked down to her, a contented- if not dazed- smile on his face.

"Anyways, we can't stay here Lucy. It's time to go home."

She bit her lip, nodding slowly. She knew he was right, and she really wanted to go home, but the whole reason they had come to this mountain was to find Igneel. Natsu had been so excited, and they were so close too…

"We'll find him one day Natsu. We'll come back." She assured him, but the words were also meant for her.

"Yeah…" He said quietly. He smiled at her then, running his hand across her stomach. "But first, we have something more important to take care of."

Her heart fluttered at his sweet words, her cheeks turning rosy. A shy smile came to her lips as she nodded slowly at first, but then it transformed into a wide, idiotic grin as she dug into his shirt, kicking her feet in an outburst of unbridled excitement. Maybe it was the hormones, maybe it wasn't, but she couldn't contain herself at this point. Natsu laughed harshly as he nuzzled against her, grinning from ear to ear as he kissed her neck.

She peeked her eyes open for a minute, happening to fall in the direction of the window. She bursted out laughing.

Happy was on the other side, tears streaming down his cheek with his face pressed flat against the glass, obviously having heard the news.

"Happy, get in here already!" She called out to him. The little cat flapped through the open door in a blur of blue and white, landing on Lucy's chest and blubbering about how relieved he was.

Natsu and Lucy exchanged knowing looks, smiling together as Lucy patted Happy's head. The boy bumped his nose against hers, grinning.

"Our family's getting bigger, Lu." He said softly. She smiled contently for a moment, but a wave of nausea rolled in her stomach. She sighed inwardly; her body always picked the wrong times to act up. She wrung the blanket in her fists, trying to relax, but Natsu was far too sensitive to her at the moment- there was no way he'd miss any discomfort.

"Hm? You okay?" His smile fell, much to her dismay. Lucy shook her head.

"It's nothing…Just a bit nauseous is all." She replied awkwardly. Happy frowned, slipping off of her and looking to his companion. Natsu's eyes widened at her shaky excuse. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"But we got you a doctor! You aren't sick, so why are you still feeling bad?!" Poor thing, he looked so panicked. Lucy sighed.

"Natsu, just because we know I'm pregnant isn't going to make the symptoms any better. Being nauseous, dizzy, tired… It's going to be something that happens often." She said, surprised at the certainty in her own voice. He scowled suddenly, balling up his fists.

"That's not fair!" He all but shouted. She understood what he was feeling though, that uselessness. She'd felt it a lot during fights, but especially during Natsu's stay at the hospital.

The boy broke through her thoughts, snuggling close to her torso. She smiled softly, patting his hair as he laid his head on her chest.

"I wanna make you feel better…" He mumbled. Lucy thought he sounded sad, but in reality, it was frustration that held him there. He couldn't help, and that frustrated him to no end.

"It'll pass, Natsu. It's just morning sickness…Don't worry." Lucy assured him, kissing his head. He relaxed for a moment, but she knew he could feel how clammy she was becoming. He pulled himself up, taking her by the hands and raising her to her feet.

"C'mon… Let's try and lay down. Maybe you can sleep it off." He said wearily. She sighed shakily, putting on a smile for him as she lay back in bed, Natsu sneaking in with her as he smoothly slipped out of his sandals and jacket. He snaked his hands around her, rubbing his palm across her abdomen in small, soothing circles for a few hypnotizing minutes, both of them beginning to surrender to their exhaustion. Nonetheless he fought to stay awake with her, eventually slowing his hands to rest on top of the baby. She sighed softly, one of her hands meeting his for a moment. He pressed his forehead against the back of her head gently, laying his hand a tad firmer against her womb, as if he was drawing her attention to the little life inside of her.

"Thank you, Lucy…" he said quietly, emotion dripping from every syllable. She blushed madly, curling against him and bringing the blanket to cover her chin.

"D-Don't thank me, you idiot…" She sputtered, a small grin blooming on her face. He chuckled behind her, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. He leaned back with a sigh.

"I love you, baby…"

Lucy smiled.

She knew that he wasn't talking to her.

_He really is excited…_

"I love you too, Lucy~" He cooed sweetly, moving his hand to make a quick swoop across the length of her outer thigh before pulling her a little closer and enclosing her in his arms. She sighed, her nausea already subsiding a little. Happy crawled up into bed with them.

"Fairy Tail is gunna be so happy for us, right Lucy?" The little cat asked with a yawn.

"Aye…" She replied tiredly. She closed her eyes.

_Yes… Our nakama was waiting for us back at the guild._

_It's time to go home._

* * *

So, big stuff happening. We're gonna take a short break from Purity- not long of course. We just need some time to exercise our skills, get the creative juices flowing for the upcoming chapters, ya know? It'll be a week at most, and in the meantime, we'll be writing a new NaLu one-shot. Till then, review if you liked!


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